SUMMARY
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The new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said he would continue the agency’s weight-loss program to ensure that obese and overweight officers would get back in shape.
“Matagal na nating gustong papayatin ang ating mga pulis na obese or overweight. In fact ang ating [acceptable] body mass index (BMI) ay ating isinusulong (It’s been so long that we wanted our obese and overweight police officers be fit. In fact, we are promoting the acceptable BMI),” Eleazar said in a Rappler Talk interview on May 9.
Under the PNP Memorandum Circular 2020-029, “only PNP personnel with normal and/or PNP Acceptable BMI shall be considered for promotion.” The comprehensive 78-page memo on physical fitness was issued in April 2020 by then PNP chief General Archie Gamboa.
However, Eleazar clarified that there would be consideration for senior police officers.
“Pero siyempre may kaunting adjustment tayo kasi kung pinabayaan natin ‘yung mga pulis natin noon na hindi requirement ‘yung mga BMI, and all of a sudden i-implement natin ‘yan sa mga senior officer na medyo lumaki na nang kaunti, napakahirap. So may leeway nang kaunti,” Eleazar added.
(But we will of course have slight adjustment because we did not require our cops to meet their acceptable BMI before, and all of a sudden, we will implement it to those senior officers who already gained weight, it’s hard. So we will have leeway.)
The new PNP chief added that they would, however, be strict to all patrolmen and patrolwomen, as well as police applicants who want to enter the police force. Eleazar added that he would continue implementing physical fitness programs under his term.
Even former PNP chief Debold Sinas went through the police weight-loss program. On May 3, Sinas announced that he lost a total of 72 pounds or 32.7 kilograms in a span of 5 months through strict diet and exercise.
Surprise inspections
Aside from ensuring that the acceptable BMI was achieved by police officers, one of Eleazar’s main thrusts was the cleanliness of all police stations and precincts. The new PNP chief said he would personally inspect police stations to ensure that cleanliness was maintained in these areas.
“Maganda na alam nila na anytime pwede akong lumabas ng Crame at mag-inspect sa kanila (It’s good that they know that anytime I can leave Crame and inspect them),” Eleazar said.
During his first speech as the PNP chief on May 7, Eleazar said he would launch an internal cleansing program that would focus on repairing the tarnished image of the police. Part of the program was the literal makeover of police units and precincts to make these more presentable.
Eleazar added that the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) already inspected almost 1,000 stations in the country. He said that station commanders or police unit heads who fail to comply would be relieved from their posts. – Rappler.com
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