diff --git a/pkg/engine/imageVerify.go b/pkg/engine/imageVerify.go
index 05dad92f91..de01c8e717 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/imageVerify.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/imageVerify.go
@@ -30,12 +30,6 @@ func VerifyAndPatchImages(policyContext *PolicyContext) (resp *response.EngineRe
 	logger := log.Log.WithName("EngineVerifyImages").WithValues("policy", policy.Name,
 		"kind", patchedResource.GetKind(), "namespace", patchedResource.GetNamespace(), "name", patchedResource.GetName())
 
-	if ManagedPodResource(policy, patchedResource) {
-		logger.V(4).Info("images for resources managed by workload controllers are already verified", "policy", policy.GetName())
-		resp.PatchedResource = patchedResource
-		return
-	}
-
 	startTime := time.Now()
 	defer func() {
 		buildResponse(policyContext, resp, startTime)
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mutation.go b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
index de094ee5ac..59818f1edf 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mutation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
@@ -44,12 +44,6 @@ func Mutate(policyContext *PolicyContext) (resp *response.EngineResponse) {
 	startMutateResultResponse(resp, policy, patchedResource)
 	defer endMutateResultResponse(logger, resp, startTime)
 
-	if ManagedPodResource(policy, patchedResource) {
-		logger.V(5).Info("changes to pods managed by workload controllers are not permitted", "policy", policy.GetName())
-		resp.PatchedResource = patchedResource
-		return
-	}
-
 	policyContext.JSONContext.Checkpoint()
 	defer policyContext.JSONContext.Restore()
 
diff --git a/pkg/engine/validation.go b/pkg/engine/validation.go
index 10c49fdcea..b64376c25b 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/validation.go
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@ func buildResponse(ctx *PolicyContext, resp *response.EngineResponse, startTime
 
 func validateResource(log logr.Logger, ctx *PolicyContext) *response.EngineResponse {
 	resp := &response.EngineResponse{}
-	if ManagedPodResource(ctx.Policy, ctx.NewResource) {
-		log.V(5).Info("skip validation of pods managed by workload controllers", "policy", ctx.Policy.GetName())
-		return resp
-	}
 
 	ctx.JSONContext.Checkpoint()
 	defer ctx.JSONContext.Restore()
diff --git a/pkg/policy/common.go b/pkg/policy/common.go
index bf67966c7d..03743b766b 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/common.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/common.go
@@ -75,22 +75,6 @@ func MergeResources(a, b map[string]unstructured.Unstructured) {
 	}
 }
 
-// ExcludePod filters out the pods with ownerReference
-func ExcludePod(resourceMap map[string]unstructured.Unstructured, log logr.Logger) map[string]unstructured.Unstructured {
-	for uid, r := range resourceMap {
-		if r.GetKind() != "Pod" {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if len(r.GetOwnerReferences()) > 0 {
-			log.V(4).Info("exclude Pod", "namespace", r.GetNamespace(), "name", r.GetName())
-			delete(resourceMap, uid)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return resourceMap
-}
-
 // getNamespacesForRule gets the matched namespaces list for the given rule
 func (pc *PolicyController) getNamespacesForRule(rule *kyverno.Rule, log logr.Logger) []string {
 	var matchedNS []string