Philippines: President retains short police ban

A BILL that would have seen minimum height restrictions removed on Filipinos wishing to join the national police force has been vetoed by the country’s president.

Benigno Aquino III said that police, prison officers and firefighters must have the “necessary physical attributes” to carry out their duties.

Male applicants to the police force must be 5’4″ tall (1.62m), while females must be at least 5’2″ (1.57m), although exceptions are made in some cases.

“If you need to rescue someone from a burning house... or secure detainees, then you would need certain physical attributes. That is the nature of these jobs and it is not discrimination,” the president’s official spokeswoman said.

The average height of Filipino men is 5’ 4.4” (1.63.5m), while the figure is 4’ 11.8” (151.8m) for women.