PNP to punish underweight, overweight cops

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will sanction its members who will not be able to meet the PNP’s body mass index (BMI) requirements, an official said yesterday.

“If some police personnel are defiant, there are corresponding sanctions,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said in Filipino during a Laging Handa briefing.

BMI is computed by dividing a person’s weight in kilos by the height in meters squared.

Usana clarified that the directive covers both overweight and underweight police officers, whose progress will be checked every month.

Those who would not be able to comply could have problems in their promotion and placement in unit assignments.

The acceptable range for those age 29 and below is 18.5 to 24.9 while for those age 51 and above, the range is from 18.5 to 27.

PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas has introduced a four-minute exercise that police officers should perform twice a day.

Sinas said he has shed 17 kilos so far this year despite community quarantine restrictions.

According to Sinas, his ideal weight is 210 pounds or about 95.25 kilos but he admitted it would be difficult given his age. He is 55 and will retire from the service in May next year.

“I’m happy to have 230 to 240 para medyo may laman naman (so I’d have a little bulk),” he earlier told reporters in an interview.