Poe argues that ‘height isn’t might’ for cops in new Senate bill

Senator Grace Poe has filed a bill seeking to lower the height requirement for cops.

In Senate BiIl No. 1876, Poe proposed that the height requirement for women be lowered to 5 feet (1.52 meters) from 5 feet and 2 inches (1.57 meters) today while the height requirement for men will be lowered to 5’2” (1.57 meters) from 5’4” (1.62 meters).

“The country’s police force has long held the notion that ‘height is might,’” Poe noted in her explanatory note on the bill.

The height requirement is among the ‘minimum’ qualifications for admission in the Philippine National Police (PNP) as provided for under Republic Act No. 6975 known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990.

The height prerequisite, however, has always been an issue within the law enforcement community, especially in a country where the average height is only 5’3’ (1.59 meters) for men and 4’11” (1.48 meters) for women, Poe noted.

“Today, the global trend is towards the path where tallness is no longer regarded as the symbol for strength, status, and power but performance does,” she said.

To back her claim, the senator cited that the minimum height requirement for policemen was in already abolished in many countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Great Britain, Ireland, and even in some parts of Australia and the United States.

She said concerns on the discriminatory effect of such a requirement and the fact that there is no proven relation between height and physical fitness were among the reasons for its abolition in the said countries.

“Height requirements tend to disproportionately limit employment opportunities for those who want to serve in the police force,” the senator added.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) earlier announced that the height requirement for PNP entrance examinations held last April 22 year was already scrapped.

READ: Height no longer a requirement to become a police officer – Napolcom

But Napolcom made it clear that this applies only to PNP entrance test applicants, not to the entire recruitment process. /ee

READ: Napolcom: Height requirement stays