Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has ordered that police officers who fail the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) twice will no longer be eligible for promotion or training.
The directive, aimed at ensuring that police officers are genuinely fit for duty, requires all personnel to pass the annual PFT and maintain a normal body mass index (BMI), PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo said on Tuesday.
Fajardo emphasized that those who fail to meet the required BMI will also be barred from attending schooling, a key requirement for promotion. “That is clear in our circular: if you fail the PFT for two consecutive attempts, you cannot be promoted,” she said during a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
She added that the policy covers all personnel and is part of efforts to professionalize the organization. “We undergo physical fitness tests annually, but this time, what our PNP chief wants is an honest-to-goodness PFT, not just one passed on paper,” Fajardo said.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. An ideal BMI for adults ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity.
