MANILA, Philippines – Calling the Fat Police. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has required officers seeking a promotion to be able to climb a 10-story building.

In a press conference in Camp Crame Friday, PNP Chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the waistline size and the body mass index (BMI) would also be considered in the promotion of ranking officers.

The BMI is computed by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by the square of his/her height (in meters).

Based on the US National Institute of Health, a normal BMI is between 18 and 24.9. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight; 30 to 34.9 is mildly obese; 35 to 39.9 is moderately obese; and a BMI of 40 and above is severely obese.

Verzosa said the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development (DHRDD) already has a study on the physical fitness of officers based on waistline size and the BMI.

If an officer is physically fit, he is more effective in police operations, he said.

Good gauge

"What we are contemplating in the placement of key positions are certain standards of physical fitness. We want to see how long it would take an officer to climb the stairs of a 10-story building ... that would be a good gauge," said Verzosa, who jogs every day.

He said the PNP would not impose a waistline policy for officers as had been done in the past, although he encouraged all officers to be "physically fit."

"We encourage our personnel to be physically fit. Even if they are a little bulky, they should be physically fit," Verzosa said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, during his term as PNP Chief, imposed a 34-inch-waistline policy for all officers.

Stricter promotions

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said the Senior Officers Placement and Promotions Board (SOPPB) would also use the results of the officer's last two physical tests as a gauge of his physical fitness.

"With the new qualification presented by the PNP Chief, things will be stricter in terms of seeking promotion. Being able to climb 10 flights of stairs will be a premium in selecting officers for sensitive positions," Bartolome said.

The PNP physical test is conducted twice a year and is only a "periodic determination of the physical capability" of an officer, he said. "It will only show how fit you are as an officer. It's part of your record."

The results of the physical test will also determine if an officer is a candidate for attrition from the PNP. An officer found not in proper physical shape four straight times by PNP doctors would be separated from the service.

Seven minutes

Earlier, two police officers died after insisting on taking physical tests despite being in poor physical condition for fear of being separated from the force.

Included in the physical exams are situps, pushups and a one-kilometer run. For officers 50 years old and above, Bartolome said the standard time for the run is seven minutes.

Bartolome said while the PNP did not have a 10-story building, they would simulate a test approximating the climb.