Manila cops fail physical fitness tests

Manila's Finest is not exactly Manila's fittest.

With the way trends are going for the Western Police District in meeting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Deputy Director General Panfilo Lacson's 34-inch waistline limit, half of its members may find themselves sweating it out in the gym.

Fifty percent of Manila policemen who came on the first day of the two-week long weigh-in and measuring, were found to be beyond the 34-inch waist limit. By noon yesterday, half of the 165 lawmen measured were beyond Lacson's standard.

"They would not need much exercise, though, to trim down. They are (just) slightly above the limit," said Inspector Rita Galigo of the WPD personnel division.

Galigo said majority of them had waistlines of 35 or 36 inches.

There are those, however, who breached the 40-inch mark. Many are said to have 39-inch waistlines.

"We expect to find more who go way beyond the limit as we go along. WPD director (Avelino) Chief Superintendent Razon is interested in knowing their names," said Galigo. Razon's waistline measured 34 inches.

The weigh-in and measuring will continue until March 14. There are 3,388 WPD members.

At the weigh-in a WPD sub-station commander landed in the hospital while waiting for his turn. Senior Inspector Nestor Babagay Jr., 27 chief of the Sta. Monica police in Ermita, was taken to the Medical Center Manila with a gunshot wound in his lower right leg. Babagay was accidentally shot by SPO1 Pablo Primo Jr., 48, of the District Headquarters Support Unit who was getting ready to be measured.

Primo is now facing reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injury charges.

In Quezon City, Central Police District director Chief Superintendent Victor Luga warned policemen under his command to "shape up or ship out," as he started measuring waistlines during a surprise inspection at the Kamuning police station.

Luga, whose waistline measures 34 inches, ordered all the 11 station chiefs to submit a list of the physical fitness reports of police personnel under their commands

Armed with a measuring tape, Luga started checking his men's waistlines, starting with the station commanders, at around 9:30 a.m. "In three-months everybody should be physically fit," said Luga, a sports buff. During his spare time, Luga usually jogs around the grandstand in Camp Karingal in Sikatuna Village, to keep himself fit for work and operations.

During yesterday's inspection at the Kamuning police station, Luga personally measured the waistline of station chief, Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, whose measurement was five inches more than Lacson's requirement.

In order to reduce his waistline, Mantele vowed to take a diet. "I will just eat lunch everyday and take flakes in between meals," he said. --