Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil has approved the lifting of the moratorium that prescribed the period for policemen who have visible tattoos to remove them.
This means that all those who have declared that they have visible tattoos must be removed within three months and that the no-tattoo rule will also be implemented for applicants to the PNP Academy (PNPA) and the police organization, according to PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.
A moratorium for the implementation of the memorandum that prohibits policemen to have tattoos was granted due to the requests of some policemen and for the PNP Health Service to assess the declaration submitted by active policemen who have tattoos.
“The lifting of the moratorium means that we will already implement the provisions of the guideline (against sporting tattoos), particularly those who want to enter the PNP,” said Fajardo.
“Definitely, those who have tattoos will no longer be allowed to enter the PNP and the PNPA but with respect to the active policemen with existing tattoos should be removed within three months,” she added.
Fajardo, however, said that the Technical Working Group of the PNP is yet to release a guideline on the removal of the existing visible tattoos.
But initially, the stand is for active policemen with visible tattoos to remove them in the facilities outside the PNP Health Service since the police have no equipment to remove them.
Fajardo said that another subject of discussion is the prescribed period for the removal of multiple visible tattoos for active policemen due to medical concerns.
As to who would shoulder the expenses for the removal of visible tattoos, Fajardo said: “Since you opted to bear tattoos upon your entry to the PNP, it presupposes that it’s a personal choice, hence, the expenses for the removal should not be shouldered by the PNP.”
Those who would fail to comply with the rule for the removal of the visible tattoos within three months, according to Fajardo, will be subjected to investigation.