In the first half of 2001, 149 obese policemen died of cardiac arrest, many in their sleep. "We do not want to lose more pot-bellied officers to such senseless deaths," remarked Panfilo Lacson Jr., under whose term as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, decreed that no policeman should have a waistline bigger than 34 inches.

He gave overweight law enforcers six months to shape-up or else face expulsion. That directive has now been reasserted by PNP Chief Edgardo Aglipay to those he calls the 'taba' cops—'Tamad, Abusado, Bastos, Ayaw magpadisiplina.'

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