As a forensic science professor teaching across the Philippines, from Baguio to Davao, I have encountered countless students struggling with a persistent question: What sets criminology, forensic science, and criminalistics apart? The confusion is understandable — these fields have intertwined histories, especially in the Philippines, where necessity once fused their roles. However, distinguishing them is more than an academic exercise; it is vital for a sharper criminal justice system and a public that understands how crimes are unraveled.
Who does what
Criminology explores the why and who of crime. Why do people break the law? Who is prone to do so? Criminologists investigate the social, psychological, and economic drivers — poverty, peer influence, mental health — that fuel criminal behavior. Their aim is to detect patterns, pinpoint causes, and devise prevention and rehabilitation strategies. They are the sociologists of crime, weaving human stories from raw data.
Forensic science, in contrast, answers how and when. It applies scientific principles to legal cases, transforming evidence — DNA, fingerprints, bloodstains — into a factual storyline. Forensic scientists operate in laboratories, wielding biology, chemistry, and physics to reconstruct crime scenes and timelines. Their work connects suspects to clues and holds up in court, making them essential to justice.
Criminalistics, meanwhile, hones in on the what and where. A focused subset of forensic science, criminalistics begins at the crime scene, where criminalists meticulously collect and preserve evidence — weapons, fibers, traces — ensuring nothing is lost before lab analysis. While they also examine evidence, their strength lies in precision. If forensic science is the broad scientific lens, criminalistics is its fine-tuned focus.
Historical overlap
The overlap of these fields in the Philippines traces back to the early 1900s, shaped by limited resources and European influence. Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso’s theory of atavism — claiming criminals were born with distinct physical traits — left a mark on Filipino pioneers like Ignacio Villamor and Sixto De Los Angeles. Though now debunked, this idea merged criminology and forensic science in a nation short on specialists.
Villamor, a lawyer and educator, analyzed crime statistics, blending Lombroso’s biological views with social factors like poverty and education. He saw crime as a mixture of nature and nurture. De Los Angeles, a physician, took a forensic approach, measuring inmates’ bodies for supposed criminal signs. Their efforts combined criminology’s “why” with forensic science’s “how,” a necessity when scholars doubled as criminologists, forensic examiners, and statisticians. This historical fusion planted seeds of confusion that still sprout today.
Evolution, challenges
Over time, the fields matured. Criminology shifted from biological determinism to embrace social and psychological insights, driving prevention through policy and community efforts. Forensic science grew empirical, rooted in rigorous science, while criminalistics sharpened its focus on evidence collection and analysis. Yet, the Philippines has not fully untangled them.
The National Forensic Science Training Institute (NFSTI) in Laguna, for example, offers critical training like the Crime Investigation and Detection Course (CRIDEC), but it often frames forensic science as synonymous with criminalistics, sidelining the broader scientific scope forensic science demands. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police’s 2021 shift from the Crime Laboratory to the Forensic Group hints at progress, but nationwide standardization remains an ongoing effort.
Recognizing the need to further bolster forensic capabilities, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order No. 29 in January 2025, initiating the creation of a technical working group (TWG) tasked with studying the establishment of a National Forensics Institute (NFI). The envisioned NFI aims to centralize and elevate forensic standards, providing state-of-the-art research and laboratory facilities. This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to comprehensive justice reforms and strengthening domestic accountability mechanisms.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) formally established the Bachelor of Forensic Science program through Memorandum Order No. 48, series of 2012. The University of Baguio was the first to offer the program, and today, over 15 universities nationwide have followed suit, reflecting a growing recognition of forensic science as an academic discipline.
Despite these advancements, forensic science research in the Philippines remains limited. The establishment of facilities like the Forensic Molecular Biology Center (FMBC) at Sultan Kudarat State University aims to enhance research capabilities, but such initiatives are still in their infancy and require substantial support to reach their full potential. Additionally, the country faces a shortage of qualified forensic professionals.
Need for clarity
Clarifying these fields is not just for students; it is the backbone of an effective justice system. Criminologists provide the “why” to prevent crime, forensic scientists the “how” to solve it, and criminalists the “what” to prove it. When these roles sync, investigations gain precision, trials become fairer, and society becomes safer.
The Philippines’ forensic story reflects its past and its struggles. Villamor and De Los Angeles filled gaps in a resource-scarce era, but today’s needs demand specialization. The NFI and expanding forensic programs mark steps forward, yet challenges persist: education must deepen, research funding must grow, and practices must standardize. Only then can these fields stand apart yet work together seamlessly.
Criminology, forensic science, and criminalistics share a history, but their futures must be distinct and robust. By investing in them, the Philippines can forge a justice system where prevention and investigation align — a system that does not merely respond to crime but stays ahead of it. The pieces are in place; it is time to fit them together.
