DND, AFP reject solon proposal to lift ban on tattoos in police, military

April 2, 2018

The Department of National Defense (DND) and Philippine National Police reject the call of a lawmaker to lift the ban on tattoos in the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We would like to keep it that way. Just like haircut. The military imposes strict rules on haircut and even mustache,” DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday.

“Tattoos are ugly and connotes gangster image,” he noted.

“The Army is an old-fashioned organization in some ways. We have standards of behaviors that harkens back to medieval times and they are still relevant today: following orders, wearing approved uniform and badges, fitting into an organization, having a regulation haircut, regulated daily activities, be physically fit,” he added.

Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles urged the AFP and PNP to lift some of its requirements including the no-tattoo policy on recruiting military and police personnel.  On Sunday, Nograles said not allowing entry of qualified Filipinos in the military and police because they have tattoos is "quite archaic," as tattoos are no longer prohibited.

PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa expressed his disapproval on Nograles' proposal, saying that tattoos will make police look like an ”ex-convict”.

“Sorry to those who have tattoos. I know you will invoke your right to express your artistic desires… I want to be frank. If  it (tattoo) is exposed, it doesn’t look good, the ( police) will look like criminal, like the convicts who have tattoos... Policemen will look like an ex-convict when they are in uniform and have a lot of tattoos on their arms,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS