PRO-7 chief tells cops to shape up

Shape up or be attrited!

Police Regional Office-7 director, Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio has warned more than 500 men in his command after learning that they failed the physical fitness test (PFT) for the first semester held last April.

The PFT is one of the tools used by the PNP to determine the physical capability of its men to perform their duties.

Alarcio, in a telephone interview with The Freeman, did not specify from what units the physically unfit policemen belong.

These cops failed the fitness test, because some of them did not even finish the physical activities they were required to perform while some feigned sickness or had other reasons that made them unavailable during the test.

Alarcio said that this test is part of the qualifications a policeman must pass and maintain to stay in the service. Failing to qualify might mean dismissal from the service for the reason of physical disability.

The regional police chief emphasized that it does not mean that after they are accepted in the organization, they can just sit and relax and forget about keeping themselves fit.

The policy requires policemen to maintain their physical sharpness until their retirement, this is the PNP's goal, Alarcio added.

When asked on the basis of the said policy, Alarcio said, this is a policy from the national headquarters long time ago and is sanctioned by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) ensuring that policemen are fit for the job.

Lawyer Zandro Ronnie Oriol, chief of the Napolcom investigation division, an interview with The Freeman said, there is a policy regarding the required maintenance of physical fitness.

He said that if a policeman fails the test, he is given three more tries to pass. If he repeatedly fails, he will be recommended as candidate for attrition.

The recommendation will be based on the result of the PFT, but the Napolcom with its Attrition Board will still decide if the policeman can qualify for a physical disability discharge.

According to Oriol, the Attrition Board was created so that a policeman, who does not wish to be attrited, could air his side, so that a separate investigation could be conducted.

Those who have undergone heart surgery, amputees and those with other disabilities that affect their physical fitness are advised to retire, Oriol said.

The most cases of attrition were based on the result of the PFT where a policeman is found to be unfit physically.

The Napolcom official clarified that these dismissed cops can still receive their benefits for their physical disability and are entitled to file for permanent disability benefit afterwards.

That is the reason why there are many cops, who despite their early age, applied for attrition on the ground of physical disability, to be able to retire at a young age and receive benefits, Oriol said.

During the PFT, policemen are required to do push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and the 100-meter dash. They are also required to run one to three kilometers during the test.

The test will depend on the age, built and body weight of the policeman based from the standards required by the PNP.