DILG justifies arming barangay execs, to issue guidelines
Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star) - June 18, 2018 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
justified plans to arm barangay officials as part of the government’s anti-crime effort.
DILG Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya over the weekend said Section 387 of the Local
Government Code allows the issuance of firearms to barangay officials.
“The law provides that in the performance of his peace and order functions, the Punong
Barangay shall be entitled to possess and carry necessary firearm within his territorial
jurisdiction subject to appropriate rules and regulations. Therefore, we have legal basis,”
said Malaya, concurrent DILG spokesman.
Malaya said the planned policy will be backed by DILG guidelines to ensure its correct
and proper implementation.
“We are looking at this possibility as we have been working and studying the mechanics
to ensure its proper implementation. We will issue the directive in due time after
considering the perspective of various stakeholders,” he added.
President Duterte said he was considering arming barangay chiefs to ensure their protection
in the war against drugs and crime when he led the mass oath-taking of Central Luzon
barangay chiefs recently.
As soon as the DILG guidelines are issued, he says, local government units may also issue
firearms to barangay captains. “But it all depends on the guidelines that shall be issued,”
he said.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año is supporting Duterte’s proposal of arming barangay
captains as a form of self-protection depending on the gravity of existing threats for their
personal safety.
Año explained that arming village chiefs is a viable plan depending on the gravity of the
threat the barangay captain is receiving. The source of the threat, such as drug syndicates
and terrorists, is a factor.
“As they are our first line of defense in the grassroots level, their exposure to various
scalawags and criminal elements is high. The need for urgent protection is therefore
imperative,” he said.
“Arming them would be more of self-defense purposes since we have enough police forces
to operate against lawless elements,” Año added.
According to Año, barangay officials may buy their own guns legally and can be granted
a permit to carry so they can defend themselves.
Barangay chiefs, he said, may also be accepted as CAFGUS or Special Civilian Armed
Forces so that they can be issued government firearms and mission orders.
“As such they can fully support law enforcement units in eliminating armed lawless
elements threatening the lives of the people in the community they are mandated to
protect,” he explained.
Malaya maintained the DILG’s primary concern is the safety and security of barangays and
their residents.
“For the meantime, let’s keep an open mind. Rest assured that the safety and security of
the barangays and the residents are our outmost concern,” he said.
DILG sees no problem in arming barangay captains
By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQ
[Link] / 03:55 PM June 18, 2018
Interior OIC Eduardo Año. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has agreed with President
Rodrigo Duterte on the topic of issuing firearms for barangay captains, citing the need for
protection from threats against them.
“Bilang ating unang hanay ng depensa sa grassroots, napakataas ng kanilang exposure sa
iba’t ibang uri ng masasamang-loob at mga criminal,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in
a statement on Monday.
“Dahil dito, sila ay nangangailangan ng agarang proteksyon,” he added.
(As they are the first line of defense in the grassroots, they are highly exposed to different
threats from bad elements and criminals. And because of that, they need immediate
protection.)
President Duterte made the statement on June 8 (Thursday) as he was talking to newly-
elected barangay officials of Region VII. Several lawmakers expressed their concerns over
the suggestion, saying that it is more of a problem than a solution.
READ: Arming barangay captains will be ‘recipe for disaster’ — solons
In the statement, Año said that barangay captains can buy firearms and they may be given a
“permit to carry.” Aside from that, they may also be included in the Civilian Armed Force
Geographical Unit (CAFGU) or in the Special Civilian Armed Auxiliary (SCAA).
“Bilang CAFGU o SCAA, maaari silang makatulong sa mga yunit na nagpapairal ng batas
sa pagsugpo sa mga masasamang-loob na malaking banta sa buhay ng mga taong kanilang
isinumpang pagsilbihan at protektahan sa barangay,” he said.
(As CAFGU or SCAA members, they can help the units that are in charge of law enforcement
and crime prevention which pose a big threat to the lives of the people that they vowed to
serve and protect in the barangay.)
DILG Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya also supported the proposal, saying that it is
backed by legal bases.
“Ayon sa Section 387 ng Local Government Code, pinapayagan ang pag-iisyu ng baril sa
mga opisyal ng barangay,” Malaya said.
“Nakalagay sa batas na sa pagtupad ng punong barangay sa tungkulin niyang panatilihin ang
kaayusan at kapayapaan sa barangay, may karapatan siyang magmay-ari at magdala ng baril
sa loob ng kanyang nasasakupang komunidad sa ilalim ng mga regulasyong napapaloob din
sa batas,” he added.
(Section 387 of the Local Government Code allows the issuance of guns for barangay
officials. The law states that in the exercise of the barangay captain’s job to maintain peace
and order in the barangay, he or she has the right to own and bring a gun within the
community, under regulations stated by the law.)
However, Malaya also recognized the need for the department’s assurance that mechanisms
are in place to prevent the abuse of such measure.
“Tinitingnan naming ang posibilidad nito dahil pinag-aaralan na rin namin ang mga
mekanismo upang masiguro ang tamang pagpapatupad nito,” he said.
(We will look into the proposal’s possibility because we are studying the mechanisms to
ensure the correct implementation of this measure.) /je
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Law allows barangay chiefs to carry guns: DILG official
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 14 2018 10:29 AM | Updated as of Jun 14 2018 10:47 AM
MANILA - The law allows barangay chiefs to possess firearms, Interior and Local
Government Undersecretary Martin Diño insisted Thursday amid opposition by some
lawmakers to the proposal.
Speaking to ANC, Diño said the 1991 Local Government Code clearly states that village
leaders are allowed to possess and carry firearms in performance of their peace and order
functions.
He said barangay chiefs play a key role in President Rodrigo Duterte's war against drugs
and criminality, which puts them at risk.
"Pag may gulo, pagpasok ng barangay captain, ang kasama niya mga tanod. Hindi naman
agad pulis. Unang-una, pag malayo ang barangay sa presinto, kawawa ang constituents
kung pababayaan ni kapitan o kung maghihintay pa ng pulis o sundalo," he said.
Based on his "assessment and evaluation," Duterte earlier said he was considering arming
barangay chiefs to ensure their protection in the war on drugs and criminality.
WILD, WILD WEST?
But opposition lawmakers slammed the President's plan, calling it a "recipe for disaster"
that may result to a "wild, wild west" scenario of private armies.
Opposition solons hit Duterte's idea to arm barangay chiefs
But Diño allayed these fears and assured that barangay chiefs will be armed based on rules
and regulation. He added that village leaders in the narco-list will not be allowed to carry
firearms.
"Kaya nga ngayon, puwede mo nang ireklamo ang mga umaabusong barangay captain,"
said Diño, who admitted carrying firearms when he was a village chief.
