Bill lowering height requirement for PNP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor applicants hurdles House

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to lower the height requirement for applicants for the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

With 203 affirmative votes, zero negative, and six abstentions, the chamber approved House Bill 8261, or the proposed "PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor Height Equality Act."

The 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 is one meter and 62 centimeters for males, and one meter and 57 centimeters for females.

The measure likewise removes the waiver of height requirement for appointment as an officer or employee of the PNP, BFP, BJMP, or BuCor of a person from cultural communities and indigenous peoples.

Instead, the height requirement for them has been set to one meter and 52 centimeters for males, and one meter and 47 centimeters for females.

Applicants for the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), however, are exempted from the provisions of the measure, retaining the current height requirement, as per the request of the academy's acting director, Police Brig. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento.

During the deliberations of the measure in the committee level, Armamento said 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 female in the police service.

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

The Senate approved its counterpart bill in September 2020.

A bicameral conference committee would be called to reconcile the conflicting provisions of the versions of the Senate and House.—AOL, GMA News