ILOILO City – Twenty six third-level police commissioned officers (PCOs) or police colonels from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) underwent physical fitness test (PFT) yesterday, August 7, at Camp Gen. Martin Teofilo B. Delgado here.
These senior officers were composed of regional staff, city and provincial directors, heads of national support, and members of the command group.
According to Major Lailyn Sencil, PRO-6 spokesperson, the activity showed the regional police’s commitment to ensuring their physical health, wellness, and operational readiness.
The PFT is part of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) continuing program to ensure that senior officers maintain the level of fitness required for effective leadership in law enforcement operations. Participants were evaluated through standardized exercises, including push-ups, sit-ups, and a 12-minute run, with age and sex specific standards set to measure muscular strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, attributes essential for leadership and operational readiness.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Josefino Ligan emphasized the vital role of physical fitness in police leadership.
“The PFT is a comprehensive assessment of their physical condition, placing emphasis on their strength and endurance to ensure that they remain healthy and capable of effectively performing their duties as law enforcers. This is also to support the PNP’s standard of a 5-minute response time, which demands a high level of physical readiness and operational efficiency at all times,” Ligan stated.
To recall, following General Nicolas Torre III’s assumption as the PNP chief, he ordered the strict monitoring of the body mass index (BMI) of every police personnel especially those who are overweight. Officers who fail to reach the standard BMI will face administrative sanctions including no promotions, no trainings, and possible separation service.
Overweight personnel, meanwhile, are given one year to get fit or face serious career consequences.
This move aims to professionalize the police force and ensure that those who serve and protect are also fit to perform their duties./PN
