Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, PRO-12 spokesperson. (Photo courtesy of PRO-12)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Some 200 more police personnel in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) are set to undergo a weight loss program after being found exceeding the standard body mass index (BMI) set by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, Police Regional Office (PRO-12) spokesperson, said Thursday the concerned personnel were among those who failed the BMI test and came out overweight and obese.
Capellan said the personnel comprise of police commissioned (PCO) and non-commissioned officers (PNCO) assigned in various units in the region.
The BMI reduction program, which will be conducted at the PRO-12 headquarters in Barangay Tambler here, was set for 10 days starting on March 9.
“They will undergo schooling or training but it will focus on reducing their weight down to the standard BMI,” the police official told reporters.
Capellan said it will begin after the completion of an ongoing program, which involves 176 PNCOs.
Based on the PNP’s standards, those with BMIs of 25 to 29.9 are still within the normal levels while those with 30 and above are considered overweight and obese.
Capellan said the program is in line with PNP chief Archie Gamboa’s directive for all police personnel to meet the standard BMI.
“No one is exempted. All those who failed the BMI test will have to undergo the program,” he said, adding that the weight loss program will continue until June based on an earlier order from PRO-12 director Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus.
Those who will fail to meet the standard BMI within the timeline might be sent to the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame to continue their program, he said.
In January, Capellan admitted that nearly half of the region’s 5,948 police personnel had not met the standard BMI. (PNA)
