THE National Police Commission (Napolcom) clarified on Tuesday, January 23, that the height requirement was removed only for those taking the Philippine National Police (PNP) entrance examination, but not for recruitment purposes.
The height requirement is still included in the set of basic qualifications that must be complied with by applicants aspiring to become police officers.
Napolcom said requirements for taking the PNP entrance examination are distinct and separate from the general qualifications required of applicants for Police Officer 1 (PO1). These are 5'4" for male and 5'2" for female.
"The Napolcom emphasizes that taking and passing the PNP Entrance Examination is not a guarantee for automatic entry into the police force. Only those who possess the general qualifications specified under Section 14 of Republic Act No. 8551 are qualified for appointment as member of the PNP," the agency said in a statement.
"To set the record straight, the Commission reiterates that the removal of height limit applies to examination purposes only, and not to police recruitment as reported by some media entities,"it added.
Earlier, Napolcom vice-chairman and executive officer Rogelio Casurao said starting on April 22, police examinations will no longer have height requirement for as long as applicants have a bachelor’s degree and are not more than 30 years old.
Casurao said the removal of the height requirement was part of modernization as the commission activated the On-Line Examination Application Scheduling System (OLEASS) on the Napolcom website for the nationwide conduct of the PNP Entrance and Promotional Examinations.
However, Casurao's statement made the impression that height requirement was also removed for those who wanted to apply as police officers. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)