No promotion for overweight cops

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen who are eyeing to be promoted must take a closer look at their weight first.

This after the Cebu City Police Office said it will strictly enforce a new policy issued by their headquarters requiring policemen to meet a certain weight based on their body mass index (BMI). Meeting this requirement is one of the requisites for a possible promotion.

Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, officer-in-charge of CCPO, said he has told his men to follow a strict diet and exercise regularly in order to maintain a desired weight based on their BMI.

The Regional Health Services according to Soriano, will be checking the BMI of policemen every semester.

He said that those who will fail the BMI test will no longer be allowed to continue with their schooling or training while those expecting a promotion will have to wait longer until they achieve the required BMI.

Soriano, who is a staunch advocate of physical well being, believes that police officers must be physically fit to be effective with their work.

“Ang healthy individual… yung disposition mo malamig, cool. Yung pasensya mo, yung tolerance mo mahaba,” said Soriano.

(A healthy individual has a cool disposition. They have longer patience and tolerance.)

On Monday, Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa, OIC of the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced in a press briefing about the signing of an order denying policemen of schooling or training until they pass the BMI requirement. /rcg