EDITORIAL - Height does matter

President Aquino's veto of the bill that repeals the height requirement for applicants for the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection drew strong opposition from various quarters. Many said such move has been nothing but discriminatory.

In his veto, Aquino said height is very important in the performance of the duties of a policeman, jail guard or firefighter. “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,” Aquino said.

Cebu third district Representative Pablo John Garcia, a major proponent of the bill at the House of Representatives, said he was disappointed by the veto, explaining that there was no scientific basis linking height to the performance and capability to be police, fire or jail officers.

At the Senate, Sen. Gregorio Honasan said he would fight for the passage of the bill. He vowed to override the president's veto when session resumes, saying that the measure's purpose is to address the inadequate number of the country's law enforcement.  

If lawmakers supporting the bill could muster two thirds of the votes from both chambers, they could override the president's veto. But it remains to be seen whether the bill, once it becomes a law, would work in favor of those government agencies.

There's no question about the noble purpose of the bill which, as Honasan said, seeks to address the shortage of cops, firefighters and jail guards. But it remains doubtful whether it can guarantee a solution to the problem.

Even without the height requirement, it's really useless for a short person to harbor any ambition to be a policeman or a jail guard, given the nature of the job. He knows he will never satisfy the demand of the profession.

Lifting the height requirement for the PNP, BJMP and BFD will only pull down the quality of law enforcement service. The only move we see that is more effective in increasing their ranks is for the government to raise the salaries of policemen, jail guards and firefighters.