A BICOLANO lawmaker on Monday filed a bill seeking to repeal the existing minimum height requirement for applicants to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
Under House Bill (HB) 7520 or the proposed “PNP, BJMP, BFP and BuCor Height Equality Act,” the minimum height requirement for male applicants in these law enforcement agencies will be lowered from 1.62 meters (5’3) to 1.57 meters (5’1).
For female applicants, the requirement of 1.57 meters (5’1) will be lowered to 1.52 meters (4’9), under Villafuerte’s bill.
“The intention of this bill is to simply repeal the minimum height requirements for applicants to the PNP, BFP and BJMP with the belief that each person has the right to equal employment opportunity,” Villafuerte said.
The height waiver for applicants belonging to indigenous groups and cultural communities will be retained under the bill.
Villafuerte said the current height requirements enforced for those who want to serve in the PNP, BFP, BJMP and BuCor are discriminatory.
“Height has no relation nor relevance to competence, drive and passion for positions In 2018, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) removed the height requirement for those who want to take the PNP entrance exam but not for police recruitment in these institutions,” he said.
Villafuerte said HB 7520 “seeks to ensure that every Filipino, regardless of height, will be given the opportunity to be a member of the PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor and have the chance to serve and protect our country and its citizens.”
The Senate has already approved on third and final reading a counterpart bill authored by Sen. and former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa and backed by Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go that seeks to also modify the height requirements for applicants to the PNP, BJMP, BFP, and BuCor.
Under Senate Bill (SB) No. 1563, the minimum height requirement for male applicants was lowered to 1.57 meters and female applicants to 1.52 meters, which are the same as those in Villafuerte’s proposal.
