ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) – The Police Regional Office-9 is seeking the support of the Regional Development Council-9 on pushing for a congressional enactment of the Bill on revitalizing the police in the barangays.
PRO-9 Police Colonel Benito Recopuerto, during the presentation of the salient features of the House Bill No. 7651 or ‘An Act Institutionalizing the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay Program of the Philippine National Police and Appropriating Funds thereof’, highlighted its alignment with the priority strategies outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. The plan emphasizes the need to strengthen police engagements with communities for effective crime deterrence, reporting, and resolution.
The Bill has gained traction from Region XI’s RDC through a resolution and Coronel Recopuerto also sought Region IX’s support.
In a significant move to fortify community-police collaboration, the Regional Development Council XI (RDC XI) passed Resolution No. 74, s. 2023, expressing support for the passage of House Bill No. 7651, also known as the “Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay Act.” This legislative initiative seeks to institutionalize the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (R-PSB) Program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and allocate necessary funds for its implementation.
The R-PSB program, as outlined, is consistent with key executive orders, specifically EO No. 546 issued in 2006 and EO 70 issued in 2018. These orders direct the PNP to actively support the Armed Forces of the Philippines in internal security operations and institutionalize a whole-of-nation approach for peace and security, respectively. The institutionalization of the R-PSB program is seen as crucial in maintaining the gains achieved by EO 70 and preventing the resurgence of insurgency.
This development builds upon the foundation laid by RDC XI in its previous support for House Bill No. 7348 in 2020, which aimed to institutionalize the Revitalized Barangay Police Program. To further solidify these efforts, Congressman Cheeno Miguel D. Almario filed House Bill No. 7651 before the 19th Congress on March 16, 2023, emphasizing the importance of sustaining community-police partnerships.
However, despite the commendable goals of the proposed legislation, several comments, issues, and concerns were raised during the discussion at the 3rd Quarter Meeting of Development Administration Committee of RDC IX last September 5, 2023.
Some members, such as Engr. Leonila Sisona of Pagadian City and ARD Maria Felicidad R. Guerrero of NEDA-IX noted that the activities of the Police Regional Office IX (PRO IX) related to the implementation of the Pulis sa Barangay (PSB) are already part of some agencies’ deliverables, leading to potential redundancy.
They emphasized on the potential duplication of services and activities, as many of the proposed functions of Pulis sa Barangay are already being provided by existing government agencies.
There is also the need for stronger coordination and dialogue between PRO IX and local government units (LGUs) to enhance the program’s effectiveness, with LGUs being the front liners in implementation. This includes some concerns about the need for extensive consultations and clarification on the proposed bill’s qualifications for Pulis ng Barangay.
Suggestions to leverage existing mechanisms at the barangay level, such as Barangay Tanod and the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, instead of creating a separate police force were also pointed out.
Over all, in order to address these concerns, the RDC-IX members deferred the resolution of support and suggested that further consultations with LGUs need to be conducted, do leveraging of existing mechanisms, and ensuring that the proposed program complements, rather than duplicates, existing services provided by government agencies.
The discussion underscored the importance of a collaborative and well-coordinated approach to ensure the successful implementation of the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay Act House Bill No. 7651, which is currently pending with the Committee on Public Order and Safety, awaiting further deliberation. (EDT/RVC/PIA-9)
