Jamaine Punzalan

PNP chief tells overweight cops: Lose weight or lose job

PNP officers. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JwTCpXcLCiU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Wednesday warned overweight police officers that they could be dismissed from service if they fail to lose weight within a year.</p><p>The law that established the PNP states that officers’ must not weigh 5 kilos more or less than the standard weight that corresponds to their height and age, Torre noted.</p><p>“Automatic naa-adjust ‘yan kasi may build nga e. Hindi pwedeng sabihin na overweight ka dahil ganito, dahil bigboned ka. ‘Pag bigboned ka, iko-consider ‘yan ng standard kasi may medical basis ang mga pinaggagawa d’yan,” he told DZMM.</p><p>“Ang tatamaan talaga d’yan, yung talagang mataba na di nag-e-exercise at di nagdidyeta,” he said.</p><p>(The standard weight will adjust automatically because one&#x27;s build is taken into consideration. So you cannot say that you&#x27;re overweight just because you&#x27;re bigboned.)</p><p>The qualifications for police officers listed in the law are “continuing in nature and failure in any one of them can be a cost for termination,”  he said.</p><p>“May mga regulations tayo d’yan. Ang basic d’yan is one year na pinagbibigyan na magkaroon ng chance na maka-comply at makabalik doon sa standard,” the PNP chief added. </p><p>(We have regulations for that. They will be given one year to comply with the standard.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>40 PUSHUPS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>To support physical fitness, police officers working the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift are now allowed to end their workday at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays to engage in their chosen fitness routines. Personnel on frontline duties, however, must find their own time to exercise.</p><p>Torre added that officers should also be able to perform at least 40 push-ups — or face dismissal</p><p>“Ang singilan na lang diyan, pagdating ng ating physical fitness test. Wala tayong patawad diyan,” he said in a chance interview with reporters on Tuesday.</p><p>(The reckoning will come during the physical fitness test. We won’t show any mercy there.)</p><p>“Kapag ako’y nagduda at nasalubong ko ‘yang pinasa niyo at pina-pushup ko at hindi kaya ang 40 pushups. Hahanapin ko kung sino ang nagpapasa sa kanya—kasama siya sa ating idi-dismiss,” he warned.</p><p>(If I get suspicious and I encounter someone who supposedly passed the test and I ask him to do push-ups but he can’t do 40, I will find out who approved his results — and both will be dismissed.)</p><p>According to PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo, the physical fitness test is conducted annually, from patrolmen to generals.</p><p>She emphasized that a police officer’s appearance should reflect respect and authority.</p><p>“Ayaw ni Sir na makakita ng antaba-taba kasi kung ang role nga naman ng pulis ay tumakbo, paano ka nga naman makakatakbo kung halos hindi mo na mabitbit ang sarili mo?” Fajardo said.</p><p>(Sir doesn’t want to see officers who are extremely overweight. If a police officer’s job includes running, how can you run if you can barely carry yourself?)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MORE STORIES:</strong></div><div><strong></strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/17/pnp-identifies-persons-of-interest-in-killing-of-house-employee-1131">PNP identifies persons of interest in killing of House employee</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/2/-paramihan-new-pnp-chief-torre-makes-drug-arrests-a-performance-metric-1208">‘Paramihan’: New PNP chief Torre makes drug arrests a performance metric</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/4/pnp-chief-vows-5-minute-response-to-911-calls-in-metro-manila-1215">PNP chief vows five-minute response to 911 calls in Metro Manila</a><strong></strong></div>

<p>Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III warned overweight police officers that they could be dismissed from service if they fail to lose weight within a year.</p>

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III warned overweight police officers that they could be dismissed from service if they fail to lose weight within a year.