MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is not keen on requiring police officers to maintain a 34-inch waistline.
Responding to a proposal of Sen. Panfilo Lacson requiring a 34-inch waistline limit for members of the police force, Dela Rosa said he prefers to encourage the officers to lose weight.
“To make it a requirement and remove those who will fail, would be too much,” Dela Rosa told journalists yesterday.
He said imposing a specific waistline limit could pose health problems.
“Our policemen could die trying to reduce and not eating,” Dela Rosa said.
Lacson, the PNP chief during the administration of former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, said setting a waistline limit is a way of instilling discipline to those who want to join the PNP.
For Dela Rosa, the best way is to encourage police officers to reduce weight using their own slimming program.
“We will be more on a reformative approach rather than punitive,” he said.
Less bloody drug campaign
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa is hoping for a successful anti-drug campaign with less bloodshed and problems.
Dela Rosa, who turned 56 on Sunday, said his birthday wish is for a less bloody implementation of oplans Double Barrel and Tokhang.
“That is my wish, for the drug problem to be addressed properly, if not totally eliminated,” he said.
The PNP’s anti-drug campaign has been marred with controversies due to the questionable killing of some drug suspects.
Among these cases was that of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos, allegedly a victim of summary execution by members of the Caloocan City police.
Dela Rosa’s term as PNP chief should have ended on Sunday, but President Duterte extended his tour of duty for another three months, citing some unfinished business in illegal drugs, insurgency and terrorism.
The PNP oversight committee has finished the guidelines on the conduct of Tokhang and police officers tasked to implement the program will be briefed on the matter this week.
Dela Rosa said a vetting process would be conducted for prospective Tokhang officers to ensure that the program would not be corrupted by police scalawags.
PNP directorate for operations chief Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said that to ensure accountability, a Tokhang team would be limited to four police officers and eight for teams involved in operations for high-value targets.