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Bato to PNP recruits: If you want to be a cop, remove your tattoo


Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Monday said he is not in favor of lifting the "no tattoo" rule among the recruits of the police force.

"Meron kaming standing policy diyan na bawal talaga mag-recruit 'yung mga may tattoo, pero hindi namin sila nire-reject outright. Sabi namin, 'Gusto mo talaga mag-pulis? Umuwi ka, tanggalin mo 'yung tattoo mo,'" Dela Rosa said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

"Kung tago siguro okay lang, pero makikita pa rin 'yan paghubad nila doon sa Health Service...'Yung medical exam lahat 'yan dahil hubad so advice pa rin natin na tanggalin nila 'yung tattoo nila," he added.

While the country's top cop admitted that the recruitment process of the police force is "discriminatory," Dela Rosa explained that they just want the tradition to be maintained.

"Basta kami, we are just being traditional kasi 'pag mawala 'yung standard ng PNPA [Philippine National Police Academy] like shaving your mustache, ang pangit tingnan 'pag pulis naka-uniporme, hindi nakagupit. Part of the grooming 'yan eh. Hindi nakapag-shave—ang pangit tingnan, 'di ba?" he said.

"How much more kung maraming tattoo dito, baka sabihin criminal ba itong pulis na 'to. So ngayon advice ko kung gusto niyo magpulis tanggalin niyo 'yung tattoo niyo," he added.

Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles earlier urged the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines to lift some of their "archaic" requirements for recruits, including the "no tattoo" rule.

Nograles said it is inappropriate to automatically associate or judge individuals with tattoos as being criminals, rebels or undesirables for their organizations.

"Like the nonsensical minimum height requirement of at least five feet for both the military and police service, the no tattoo rule must be done away with for the simple reason that it is not a good measure of one's capabilities or heart on the battlefield," he said.

Recruitment of an individual with tattoos is currently prohibited by the PNP, the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard as these are viewed as "physical defects" that "demerit or disqualify their application."

The PNP chief, meanwhile, welcomed the removal of height requirement among police recruits.

"Hindi naman talaga height ang basehan sa kagalingan at kabaitan ng tao, 'di ba, so we are open to that," Dela Rosa said.

"Wala tayong problema diyan. PMA (Philippine Military Academy) nga tinanggap nila 'yung below 5'4, binabaan 'yung height requirement. Pasensya na sa mga may tattoo. Alam ko you will invoke your right to express your artistic desires," he added.

"Art sa inyo, sa amin taboo. Prangkahan tayo... 'Pag nakikita exposed dahil pangit nga, parang criminal naman tingnan, 'di ba, sa kulungan puro may tattoo tapos ang pulis ganon din. Para namang ex-convict ang pulis 'pag naka-uniporme na maraming tattoo," he continued. —KG, GMA News

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