House panel OKs bill lowering height requirement for PNP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor applicants

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety on Thursday approved the substitute measure seeking to lower the height requirement for applicants to join the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

In its meeting, the panel approved the consolidated measure of seven House bills and Senate Bill 1563 proposing the lowering of the height requirement in applying for the four agencies.

The consolidated measure sets the minimum height requirement for PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor applicants to one meter and 57 centimeters for males, and one meter and 52 centimeters for females.

The current height requirement for these agencies are one meter and 62 centimeters for males, and one meter and 57 centimeters for females.

Sulu Representative Samier Tan, who chairs the subcommittee that deliberated on the measures, said the lowering of the height requirement "would enable these agencies to employ the best and highly qualified applicants for positions requiring technical skills."

The measure likewise removed the waiver of height requirement for applicants from the cultural communities and indigenous peoples, saying that this is being abused.

Instead, the height requirement for these applicants has been set to one meter and 52 centimeters for male, and one meter and 47 centimeters for female.

PNPA applicants exempted

However, applicants for the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) are exempted from the provisions of the measure upon the request of the academy's acting director, Police Brigadier General Rhoderick Armamento.

According to him, the PNPA is producing officers for the PNP, BFP, and BJMP, and they need physical attributes in effectively performing their duties.

He also argued that lowering the height requirement is "counter-progressive" as the current trend worldwide shows consistent increase in the average height of male and females in the police service.

"Our stand is to retain yung standard height requirements na nakalagay before or sinusunod natin," Armamento said.

The panel agreed to Armamento's position and decided to include a provision in the measure allowing PNPA to retain the height requirement for its applicants.

Following its approval in the committee level, the measure can soon be sent to the plenary for further deliberation and consideration. — BM, GMA News