Noy retains height requirement for PNP

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos of a certain height will not be accepted as cops, jail officers or firefighters, as the height requirement for these posts remains.

President Aquino vetoed the bill repealing the height requirement for applicants to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), it was learned yesterday.

In his veto message on the “Act Repealing the Minimum Height Requirement for Applicants to the PNP, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology,” Aquino said that height is a necessary physical attribute to perform the duties of policeman, jail officer or firefighter well.

“As raised by the BJMP, jail officers, by the nature of their work in guarding detainees or escorting criminals, must possess the necessary physical attributes to perform their functions effectively. Likewise, public safety is paramount in law enforcement by the PNP as well as in firefighting by the BFP,” the President explained.

“While I recognize the noble intent of this measure to address height equality among these bureaus, I am also seriously apprehensive of the concerns propounded by the PNP and the BJMP on the safety of their personnel in the performance of their duties as well as the public safety in general,” he said.

“A waiver of this qualification is allowed under certain conditions. Hence, the total repeal of the height requirement among these service bureaus is unnecessary,” he added.

Under the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8551), the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Professionalization Act of 2004 (RA 9263 as amended by RA 9592), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 (RA 6975), applicants to these agencies must comply with general qualifications for appointment to the service, including a height requirement of 5 feet 4 inches for males and 5 feet 2 inches for females.

Height is a semblance of authority

Police and fire officers support the decision of President Aquino to veto the bill removing the height requirements in the three branches of law enforcement service.

“We respect the move of the President. At present, we are still following the same policy on the height requirement,” said Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., spokesman of the PNP.

“Height is crucial in the PNP because a height of 5’6” and up is a semblance of authority of a police officer. But if the policemen are short, there is a big chance that criminals will underestimate the law enforcers,” another police officer who asked not to be named said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Renato Marcial, spokesman of the BFP, said the job of firemen needs certain physical attributes, but he clarified that BFP’s position to maintain the height requirement does not intend to discriminate against anyone.

“That’s very good. We welcome and respect the decision of the President...Our job needs physical attributes as well as during firefighting operations. What if the person to be rescued is quite big and the fireman is small, then both of them would be in danger,” Marcial told The STAR.

Marcial also said that the BFP has a provision on height waiver. He was referring to RA 9592 which provides the height requirement can be waived for “cultural communities.”

“A waiver for height and age requirements shall be automatically granted to applicants belonging to the cultural communities,” the law said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte yesterday echoed the President’s position that there was no discrimination because there were exemptions to the height requirement depending on circumstances, such as allowing those who did not meet the height requirement to stay in service.

She also said that the President’s veto message was transmitted to the Senate and House of Representatives on Feb. 25. She would not comment when asked if Congress only wasted time deliberating on the measure since there was a waiver or exemption given in certain cases.

“I don’t want to guess. I also don’t want to assume but the fact is, when it came to us, the President saw that it might be detrimental to our fellow workers in the performance of their functions,” Valte told reporters.

She also said that the legislature was independent from the executive and they could not dictate on what lawmakers should do.

“That’s part of our system of checks and balances. They always have another option that they can resort to if they feel that this particular bill should still be passed into law,” Valte added. –With Cecile Suerte Felipe