DAVAO CITY — The recent order of Philippine National Police acting officer-in-charge Lt. General Archie Gamboa to stay fit and maintain body mass index (BMI) has prompted hundreds of police personnel and even non-uniformed personnel to trim down fats and stay fit.
Gamboa announced the campaign against fat cops, even directing an overweight police general to go on a yogurt diet to lose weight. A healthy and fit police personnel, according to Gamboa can actively move and participate in any police activity.
The intensified weight loss program in the PNP is in compliance with the directive of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, putting emphasis on physical fitness for police officers.
In his speech during the flag-raising rites at Camp Crame, Año stressed that police officers should always be physically strong and fit to meet the demands of their job. “As police, we need to have good health. How can we run after criminals if we are not physically fit?” Año said.
To say fit and not fat, ”That’s how I want all policemen should be conscious about their weight kasi this is not all about ‘yung image ng PNP na dapat walang mga tiyan but this is more on individual responsibility kasi ang iniimplant namin dito is ‘yung health mo na mabuhay ka ng matagal,” Gamboa said at a press conference.
“Kasi marami na tayong klaseng sakit at kapag hindi mo minaintain ‘yung katawan mo baka hindi mo abutin ang retirement mo,” Gamboa added. Further, he said he would ink a directive denying policemen who will fail to miss the ideal Body Mass Index of opportunities for schooling or further studies.
“Pipirmahan ko na yung BMI na kapag hindi ka compliant sa BMI, you will be denied schooling na up until you comply to the BMI requirements, that’s the only time you can go on schooling,” Gamboa said. “Masakit ito because there are schooling that are required for certain positions and there are schooling that are required for certain promotions,” he noted. He even ordered an overweight general to lose weight, but did not disclose the name of the general.
With the order, personnel of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) are slowly limiting their calorie intake in a bid to become fit and healthy, following the body mass index (BMI) order of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
DCPO spokesperson police captain Rose Aguilar, in an interview with Newsline Philippines last January 10 said DCPO is already in the evaluation stage which means police officers were already weighed to determine if they are overweight, underweight or fit. “Sa karon naga hinay-hinay pa ug reduce ug intake ang mga personnel pero dili nato ma-determine pa kung kinsa naga slowly comply kay bago pa nag sugod,” Aguilar said.
Each police personnel under DCPO will be strictly evaluated by June to determine those who complied and who didn’t.
Police who failed to comply the requirement will be barred from training and other types of schooling for promotion.
For Police Executive Master Sargeant Joel Golosino, a police officer of DCPO, the mandate is not only for the sake of the PNP but also for the health of the policemen.
“Maayo mani siya kay maka tabang ni sa amoa mag-motivate para mugamay ug healthy,” Golosino said, who is currently obese based on their recent weight evaluation.
Golosino himself find it hard to lose weight but he is slowly reducing the calories he takes to comply with the order. “Mas lisud ni siya para atong mga police na naga seek og promotion kay kailangan gyud nila paspasan,” he said.
Other policemen inside the DCPO compound are also positive with the order. “Ma obliga gyud ta’g diet ani kay para man sad ni sa amoa,” a group if policemen said.
In Zamboanga City, some fifty (50) overweight policemen of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) have been ordered to trim down lest they will not be allowed to undergo schooling for promotion.
Capt. Edwin Duco, ZCPO information officer said at least 50 overweight policemen are assigned to the ZCPO’s 11 police stations. All policemen are also obliged to maintain good health aside from performing their official tasks.
“Every Tuesday and Thursday, we are required to participate in athletic activities for us to sweat and be healthy,” he said, pointing out that a bulging stomach is a sign of being unhealthy and those who have it have difficulty chasing crime suspects,” Duco added. “If they want to be promoted, then they should adhere to the memorandum (of Gamboa),” Duco said.
In Manila, National Capital Region Police Office acting director Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, who is big enough for his age and body mass index, in an interview with reporters said he is willing to step down from his post over his weight.
He said he has no issue with the directive of Gamboa for overweight cops to lose weight. Sinas, who is known for his strict observance of protocols, said he would follow Gamboa’s directive and lose weight. “That’s the policy, we have to follow,” he said.
While the PNP is busy on the trimming issue, the issue on ninja cops continue to plague their ranks and people await what come next the trimming of the fat or the cleansing of their ranks.
