The Philippine National Police (PNP) has suspended the policy requiring police officers to comply with their prescribed body mass index (BMI) before they can get promoted.
"I already approved it," PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a text message to reporters on Tuesday when asked for an update regarding the matter.
Last month, the PNP Directorate for Personnel Records Management (DPRM) recommended the suspension of the policy, citing the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a June 29 memorandum to Eleazar, DPRM chief Maj. Gen. Rolando Hinanay explained that the current situation where physical activities were limited prevented police personnel from achieving their ideal BMI.
He added that any move to hasten weight reduction for the sake of compliance with the policy might put the health of concerned police personnel at risk.
“Pursuant to our mandate of ‘Personnel Welfare is Above All’, this Directorate respectfully recommends the suspension of the implementation of BMI as a requirement for promotion amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the conduct of review of the policy to address both the concern of the organization and the welfare of our personnel.
Apart from it, personnel who are assigned in the lower units are struggling from achieving the same due to the work schedule in the exigency of the service and the fight against Covid-19,” Hinanay added.
The DPRM was forced to review the policy after it was flooded by request letters and even legal action from among its personnel, who cited the policy as discriminatory.
The inclusion of the BMI as a mandatory requirement for promotion was embodied in the PNP Memorandum Circular 2020-029 issued in December last year.
The BMI requirement is part of the physical fitness program of the PNP in an effort to professionalize the organization.
The BMI depends on a person’s height. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness, which may lead to health problems, although studies show it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.
For most adults, an ideal BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. A range of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while those having 30 and above are considered obese.
Meanwhile, amidst the pandemic and controversies, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) continues its efforts to professionalize the Philippine National Police by cleansing its ranks from erring police personnel with the resolution of summary dismissal cases since March to date.
A total 275 administrative cases involving 515 members of the PNP were decided during the En Banc sessions held since March.
NAPOLCOM Vice Chairman and Executive Officer Vitaliano Aguirre II said of the 166 police personnel who were given disciplinary sanctions, 75 were dismissed from the police service; 48 were penalized with one (1) rank demotion; and 43 were suspended.
Among those dismissed and demoted were two high-ranking PNP officials.
Copy of the NAPOLCOM Decision was already endorsed to the Office of the President for confirmation since said police officials are presidential appointees.
