Bill lowering the height requirement for PNP, BJMP, BFP & BuCor applicants for 2021 (UPDATES)
Bill lowering the height requirement for PNP, BJMP, BFP & BuCor applicants for 2021 (UPDATES)
After
the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1563 or the PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BUCOR Height
Equality Act last September 7, 2020, on the third reading with 23 votes, the
bill was sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.
On
December 15, 2020, the House of Representatives under the Committee on Public
Order and Safety released a Committee Report No. 669 consolidating all the
bills relative to lowering the height limit for PNP, BJMP, BFP, and BuCor
applicants including the bill which Senator Ronald Dela Rosa filed.
House
Bill No. 8261 substitutes House Bills numbered 2242,
3639, 5340, 6635, 7520, 7639, 7960 and Senate Bill No. 1563.
Status
of the Bill (HB No. 8261):
Approved on Third Reading on February 2, 2021.
Last Year (2020), the Senate APPROVED a bill lowering height requirement for PNP, BFP and BJMP applicants (3rd Reading)
The Senate on Friday (September 7) approved on third and final reading a bill lowering the height requirements for applicants to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP), and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
Senate
President Vicente Sotto III congratulated his co-senator, Ronald Dela Rosa, by
winning the majority votes on his proposed bill, with 23 affirmative
votes, no negative votes, no abstention, Senate Bill No. 1563 or the PNP Height
Equality Act has been approved on third reading.
During
the plenary session, Dela Rosa said “Sa
araw na ito, pinatunayan natin na tayong mga senador ay hinalal upang
ipagtanggol ang ‘maliliit’ – literally and figuratively. Our people expect no
shortcomings from us. Indeed, there is no tall order that cannot be conquered.”
According to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go who expressly support of this bill, said:“I want to commend the good sponsor for pushing for this measure and I wish to manifest my support and my intention to co-author this bill modifying the minimum height requirement for PNP, BJMP, BFP, and BuCor personnel.”
Thousands
of criminology graduates and students, who did not meet the height requirement,
are still hoping for the lifting of the height restrictions of PNP/BFP/BJMP.
It’s not
easy for the applicants to obtain height waivers because not all are members of
the indigenous tribes like mandaya, mansaka, bagobo, etc.
The
said bill will be transmitted to the President for approval. If the President
signs it, it becomes a law after 15 days following the publication in the
Official Gazette.
History of the PNP Height Equality Act bill
Adopted
by tribal or cultural minorities to obtain a certificate of tribal
membership/certificate of confirmation is not allowed by the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). Applicants who applied for
certification must possess by bloodline and must embrace the practice of their
forbears.
The
traditional height of Filipinos is one meter and sixty-one centimeters (1.61m)
or 5 feet and 3 inches (5’3) among men and one meter and fifty-one centimeters
(1.51m) among women.
The
present height requirement for PNP applicants is one meter and sixty-two centimeters
(1.62m) or 5’4 for males and one meter and fifty-seven centimeters (1.57m) or
5’2 for females.
The
first bill for lowering the height requirement (House
Bill No. 6203) for PNP was filed by Representative Pablo John F.
Garcia in the 15th Congress.
Both Senate and House of Representatives approved the HB No, 6203, however, it was vetoed by President Benigno Simeon C Aquino III by which he delivered his vetoed message:
“For
BJMP officers, the nature of their work in guarding detainees or escorting
criminals must possess the necessary physical attributes to perform their
functions effectively. Likewise, public safety is paramount in law enforcement
by the PNP, as well as in fire fighting by the BFP.”
The
existing laws impose an undue restriction on those qualified people who may
desire to serve the said law enforcement agencies.
Several
lawmakers re-filed bills related to lowering the height requirements for PNP,
BJMP and PNP applicants, however, those bills are still pending before the
Congress.
Now,
in the 18th Congress led by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa filed Senate
Bill No.1563 or the “PNP,
BFP AND BJMP Height Equality Act of 2019.”
The
said bill seeks to reduce the height requirements for applicants in the
Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of
Jail Management and Penology from…
|
Existing Height
Requirement to |
Proposed Height
Requirement |
|
1.62m or 5’4 for
males |
1.57m or 5’2 |
|
1.57m or 5’2 for
females. |
1.52m or 4’98 |
Height
should not be a restriction for people who want to serve the country as police,
fire, and jail officers provided they possess other qualification required in
the effective performance of their duties.