Height requirement lowered for PNP, other uniformed services

MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine National Police yesterday welcomed President Duterte’s signing of a law lowering the height requirement for PNP members and other uniformed personnel.

“We welcome this new height requirement for aspiring police officers and other uniformed personnel. We support the wisdom of our President,” said PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement written partly in Filipino.

Eleazar emphasized that qualifications should not be based on physical appearance, specifically height, for applicants to have careers in the uniformed services.

“Height does not determine the kind of policeman that you will become, but by an honest service and unblemished track record,” he said in Filipino.

The PNP is seeking to recruit more than 17,000 police officers this year to beef up its roster.

Duterte on Wednesday signed Republic Act 11549 or the PNP, BFP, BJMP and BuCor Height Equality Act.

Under this law, the minimum height requirement for applicants to the PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is reduced from 5’4” to 5’2” for males and from 5’2’ to 5’ for females.

For the PNP, BFP and BuCor, it provides that “no person shall be appointed as officer or member of the PNP unless he or she possesses the following minimum qualifications: must be at least 1.57 meters (5.1811 feet) in height for males and 1.52 (4.986 feet) meters for female; provided, that a waiver for height requirement shall be automatically granted to applicants belonging to the cultural communities/indigenous peoples.”

The Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Justice were mandated to coordinate with the Civil Service Commission, National Police Commission and the PNP, BFP, BJMP and BuCor in promulgating the rules and regulations necessary to implement the new law.

Congress said the law would take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, principal author of the law, described RA 11549 as “great news for many Filipinos.”

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, sponsor of the law, said in a statement that the law’s provisions “are more welcoming and more accommodating to our vertically challenged countrymen who may not be blessed with height, but will stand tall to serve their people.” – Christina Mendez, Paolo Romero