The Reformed Barangay Patrol

Organization and Function of the Barangay Patrol

Chairman Allen Silvano and his brother Kagawad/Peace and Order committee head Ricardo Maraya Silvano, the Organization of the Barangay Patrol, introduced a number of changes in the organization and function of the patrol system. They increased patrollers to fifteen and organized them into three teams with five members. Each team has a daily 8-hour shift.

Each of the five-man teams is assigned to perform three different tasks during the shift. Equipped with the motorcycle with sidecar, two of the five men are stationed as sentries in either 7-brothers in Jose Abad Santos Street, in Grant St. around the rotonda found in General Lim near Xavier school, or in Catterpillar along Jose Abad Santos. These places are strategic for sentry duties because they are the entrances into Little Baguio. The schedule and exact positions of these sentries are randomized to confound offenders. Another two are assigned to patrol using the converted Suzuki Multi-cab. The final member of the team will be assigned in the Barangay Hall to man the Peace and Order Desk. Pursuant of DILG directive, the barangay also created a Violence Against Women’s and Children Desk Action Desk for crimes or cases involving women and children.

Manpower, Recruitment, and Training
As mentioned, the tanods were increased from six to fifteen. The position of Barangay Tanod is open to all citizens of the Barangay but is strictly observed and screened by the Barangay Council. During the screening process, recommendations by former Barangay Tanods are valued but spotless legal barangay and criminal records are a must. Aside from requiring the applicants to have no criminal involvements whatsoever, the barangay also prefers younger applicants over the aged or aging ones. The current Tanod’s are from 18-40 years old.

It is important to note that the Barangay Tanod’s from previous barangay councils were not removed from their positions. In every team, there is at least one veteran tanod. They are seen as instrumental in disseminating knowledge to the newly installed Barangay Tanods.
The training of the tanods in the previous barangay was inferior compared to the training procedure currently in place. The members of the current patrol had gone through four phases of training. These are: 1.) Traffic Management; 2.) First-Aid Training; 3.) Police Training; and finally 4.) Legal Aspects.

Traffic Management
Initially a project of the City of San Juan, it has become standard practice for each Barangay Tanod to go undergo training from Traffic, Parking and Mangagement Office (TPMO). An exam must be successfully hurdled before the tanod can be officially deputized. Once deputized, TPMO gives them an Ordinance Violations Receipt (OVR) which allows them to issue tickets at violators of Traffic rules and regulations. Among the Barangays in San Juan City, Barangay Little Baguio has the most number of Barangay Tanod’s passers in the deputization exam of TPMO. Thirteen out of the fifteen Barangay Tanod’s were deputized by TPMO. TPMO training which includes traffic management analysis is essential in arbitrating traffic disputes and the like.

First-Aid Training
All tanods were given first aid training in order to enable them to respond more effectively to emergencies which may require first aid.

Police Special Training The police authorities in San Juan gave lectures on several relevant topics like bomb detection, analysis of traffic management, as crime recording procedures, just to mention a few.

Legal Aspects
The current batch of patrol tanods benefitted from the legal training conducted by University of the Philippines, College of Law in cooperation with San Juan National High School at the latter part of the year of 2008. The training consisted of the basic knowledge on the legally accepted ways of apprehension, proper operations and actions, especially Republic Act 9344 which concerns “children in conflict with the law.” Also, by including veteran tanods in each team, their experiences in situations with legal repercussions are transferred towards the newly hired Barangay Tanods.

Equipment

A citizen of the Barangay appointed as Barangay Security Consultant, Colonel Samson Tocino donated two sets of uniforms from the polo to the shoes of each Barangay Tanod. The patrol force owns five guard sticks (batuta) equipped with tear gas ejectors at the end of each stick and all members are given standard guard sticks as weapons and multi-purpose tools.

Congressman Zamora donated a Suzuki-Multi cab which was converted to a patrol car exclusively for the use of the Barangay Patrol. Included in this conversion is the inclusion of sirens and lights similar to police cars which allow the Barangay to exude a sense of security at night as a warning or to scare criminals in the area. A bike used by the earlier tanods in encircling the barangay is still maintained and used as well as one motorcycle with a side car.

For communication, the barangay patrol has used personal cellphones with the credits of these cellphones beng subsidized by the barangay council. But since it cannot be assured that the subsidized credits are used for patrol-related concerns, Bgy. Chairman Silvano intends to transform the communication equipment of the barangay from cellphones towards two-way radios or walkie-talkies. Considering that the barangay hall itself has aUHF antennae that was registered from the creation of the barangay itself, they intend to use this antennae to be able to maintain a radio channel for communication within the barangay. This is less costly but more effective. If a tanod does not have credits in his cellphone then he cannot contact the rest of the tanods in case of an emergency as compared to the walkie-talkies or two-way radios which will only cost the barangay the initial payment for the units, and marginal maintenance costs but guarantee immediate communication.

To augment the patrol system’s assets, the barangay is saving for a new multi-cab in 2009.