Failure to comply with the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) body mass index (BMI) requirements would merit cops sanctions, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said on Friday.
“Every month po ay magkakaroon po ng monitoring at kung sinuman po ang hindi nakaka-comply sa ganitong panuntunan, mayroon pong epekto po ito sa kanilang schooling or promotion and even placement po sa iba-ibang mga unit assignments,” Usana said in a Laging Handa briefing.
New PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas earlier ordered the resumption of cops’ BMI checking to help address obesity in the police force.
Sinas reasoned that the pandemic had made cops sluggish and lazy to comply with the PNP’s exercise requirements.
“Pwedeng mataba, huwag lang masyado. Kasi for the last nine months because of the pandemic, parang konti na lang ‘yung nag-eexercise at gumalaw-galaw. Naging stagnant tayo, so ibabalik namin ‘yun,” he said.
Because of this directive, Usana said those who would remain defiant to exercise protocols will be slapped with sanctions.
“The fact that there was already an issuance of the policy as regards iyong physical fitness para sa ating mga kapulisan, kung mayroon pong mga defiance being made by some of our police personnel, then certainly po ay mayroon pong nakaakibat po doon na sanctions especially if this is meant naman para sa kabutihan nila pero hindi po nila ginagawa,” Usana added.
As of Nov. 26, 8,008 cops have contracted Covid-19. Of the number, 7,601 have recovered and 26 have died. John Ezekiel J. Hirro