By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued a moratorium formally deferring the implementation of procedures for the removal of visible tattoos among police personnel.
“The Memorandum Circular 2024-023 is already in effect, the implementation of which will be placed on moratorium, effective immediately,” read the memorandum dated April 30 signed by Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia, head of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francsico Marbil ordered the DPRM to issue the moratorium to pave the way for the review of MC 2024-023, which orders uniformed and non-uniformed personnel to have their visible tattoos removed.
“Doon sa sinasabi na moratorium, ang binaggit dito ay pinapa-review ng ating Chief PNP yung implementation with respect doon sa pagpapaalis particularly ng mga visible tattoos. At na-explain at naipaliwanag ito ng no less than the Chief PNP na to a certain degree, ang mga kapulisan ay may kailangan i-maintain ang disiplina, mga code of conduct, norms, different from the other government employees,” Fajardo said in a press conference held in Camp Crame on Thursday.
Among others, she said, Marbil wants the policy reviewed before its full implementation because of health and medical issues that may arise in the removal of tattoos, as well as the administrative sanctions to be imposed on those who fail to adhere to the policy.
MC 2024-023 requires all personnel with tattoos to provide a written affidavit declaring their tattoos and have the visible ones removed.
The policy does not cover aesthetic tattoos, such as but not limited to eyebrows, eyeliner, or lips.
The PNP said unauthorized tattoos include extremist, ethnically, or religiously discriminatory and offensive, indecent tattoos, racist, sexist, and tattoos associated with prohibited or unauthorized groups.
Cops who refuse to follow the policy will face administrative charges.
