A Barangay Should Be a Bastion of Our Democracy

By: Manny Valdehuesa

If a person’s home is said to be his castle, a citizen’s community is the bastion of his freedom and way of living; in both cases, one must be solicitous and protective.

Given the infirmities of our political system, the least we citizens can do is secure the arrangements in our respective communities and try to influence events and processes in constructive ways in order to exemplify civilized and harmonious living.

We should foster a sense of community by relating to one another in neighborly ways, holding more meetings of the Barangay Assembly, addressing more thoroughly our local concerns, and work to promote harmony and solidarity.

The Barangay Assembly, composed as it is of all adult residents, can be a powerful forum for reforms and a culture medium for orderly change. It involves the entire community, so it is the ideal venue for bringing its diverse sectors together.

As an all-inclusive forum and decision-making body, it can also serve to process issues and expand understanding in the minds and hearts of everyone.
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But very rarely do barangays engage in open, candid, or free discussions; so there is no leveling of attitudes, values, or opinions; no cross-fertilization of insights or ideas about policies, priorities, or programs. There ought to be wide understanding, broad agreement, or express cooperation among neighbors.

Citizen participation in community-wide deliberations should condition local governing approaches and styles. Such social and political participation render people less susceptible to the wiles of traditional politics and its corrupting influences.

It is also in the course of participatory processes that people influence one another, leading to mutual agreement, understanding, and cooperation. Such processes are especially important in a community that is home to multi-sectoral, multi-ethnic citizens.

We need not convert or persuade one another; but we do need to open our eyes to our different views and lifestyles. Persuasion need not be an overt purpose; but it can just happen in indirect or subtle means. Even simply voicing an opinion carries influence. One’s presence alone can be a positive influence.
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Expressing a positive opinion about someone is an indirect way of endorsing him or her for serious consideration, while complaining about the policies or principles of another is a subtle way of discouraging others from endorsing or supporting him.

There ought to be frequent discussions on policies and public affairs in our community. Democracy would mature faster if people are used to open discussions, group petitions, and shared resolutions on matters of mutual interest.

Such petitions and resolution have great impact on the upper levels of the political system in ways that few are aware of, in unseen or even devastating ways.

It’s important to keep in mind that it is unlawful for barangay officials to engage in partisan politics. As the ground-level implementers of the strategy of political party campaigns, it is they who make it possible for party candidates, regardless of background or competence, to win the community’s votes. To engage them in conversation, to monitor possible violations in thought or conduct, is healthy for social interaction and community development.
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Absence of interaction within the community renders its members susceptible to manipulation and external influence. It is why party-sponsored candidates generally have an edge in winning a community’s vote, especially if no significant contrary voices are raised from the neighborhoods. That’s why it is important to attend community meetings, to prevent untoward influences to dominate.

As the basic unit of our Republic, its building block, it is important for the barangay government to conduct itself in accordance with law.

Wayward barangays and badly-performing barangay leaders are bad for our Republic’s stability and integrity. They are easily infiltrated by insurgents, their officials easily fooled into supporting Communists who pretend to champion the causes of the poor.

Today, according to intelligence estimates, as much as one-fourth of our barangays are influenced by the Communist New People’s Army, with no data on others under the sway of terrorist enclaves in Mindanao.
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It’s what happens when barangay officials are readily manipulated by people with dubious loyalty to the Republic or when big traditional politicians (trapos!) bribe local officials to do their bidding.
Just like any foundation—for an edifice, an institution, or any social structure—the base is an essential determinant of stability and endurance. A building with an unsteady base cannot withstand earthquakes or gale-storms. An institution—like a school with a weak curriculum and mediocre faculty—won’t endure for long.

So is it with a democratic republic; it needs a durable base consisting of a citizenry with unshakeable political will.

By this is meant a constituency consisting of caring, engaged, and informed citizens: caring about its wellbeing, engaged in its governing processes, informed of its affairs, and alert in protecting it against negative influences. Tend to your barangay! Attend your Barangay Assembly On October 12! (Source: MindaNews, Oct. 1, 2014.)

Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asia Publishers Association; director, development academy of Philippines; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Govt’s Peace Panel; and PPI-UNICEF awardee, most outstanding columnist. Today he is President, Gising Barangay Movement Inc valdehuesa@gmail.com

How Do Barangays Handle Cases of Violence Against Women

Sunstar Davao recently reported that every other day, a woman would seek for a barangay protection order in Davao City to protect them from abusive husbands. 

This is happening in just one barangay alone in this city of more than 180 barangays. 

What about in scores of other barangays, way up from Batanes down to Tawi-Tawi?

In the barangay where I served as a member of its Lupon Tagapamayapa, I handled and mediated such cases too with regularity, though our village is relatively small.

In these cases, I’ve encountered several instances of women asking for protection orders from their husbands for maltreatment.

What is a protection order?  How can it help women from further abuse by their husbands? 

Image Credit: Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia

According to the UP-based Family and Community Healing Center, a Barangay Protection Order is an order issued for the purpose of preventing further acts of violence against a woman or her child such as physical, sexual, and psychological violence, as well as economic abuse as specified by R.A. 9262.  

Its purpose is to safeguard the victim from further harm, minimize any disruption in the victim’s daily life, help the victim to independently regain control over her life.

The site is one valuable source of information for abused women to learn from and to protect them from cruel and abusive husbands.  It’ll guide them every step of the way on what to do in case they encounter such a situation, including how and where to file for a protection order. 

When mediating, I was not supposed to get involved personally and should always maintain a very objective attitude when settling family disputes.  However, in many instances, I can’t help from being biased in favor of the abused wife and their children.

It’s good that there’s a law for these women and children and we have the barangay government as the first line of defense to protect them.

It is a must for all barangay councils in the country to abide by the Magna Carta for Women and put up a desk dedicated to handling cases of violence against women. These councils are supposed to set aside a budget for the purpose.

The desk is tasked to give assistance and psycho-social support to women and to draft plans on women protection.

Most of the cases filed in the barangays are psychological abuse by partners, extramarital affairs of husbands, and physical abuse.  There are also cases of prostituting women and minors, inhumane condition for domestic helpers, and forced organ donation.

To minimize the incidents of women being victims of violence, the barangays need to have a program for empowering these women through community discussions and lectures on how to deal with abusive husbands.  They should also be taught on how to fend for themselves so that they’re not totally dependent on the income of their spouses and partners.

Otherwise, the barangay halls will always be full of abused women and children and the scarce resources of the barangays stretched to the limits.

Why Do PDEA Agents Distrust Barangay Officials

This happened in a city in the Visayas but I guess it’s happening in many barangays elsewhere given our country’s widespread drug trafficking problem.

Panay News reported that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had been pressuring barangay officials to cooperate in the campaign against drug trafficking.  

But in a recent sting operation, its operatives appeared to be distrustful of local leaders.

The council of a barangay in the city where a buy-bust operation was staged passed a resolution condemning PDEA agents.  The village officials complained that “the raiding team did not coordinate, inform or invite any member of the council” about their operations.

An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (right) leads 

a provincial board member out of the PDEA headquarters to a 

court to face charges for alleged illegal drug trade. GMA News.

But a PDEA regional director said that there was nothing illegal or irregular with what his men did.  He cited previous experiences that made his agents less trusting of barangay officials in anti-drug operations.      

Officially witnessing actual anti-drug operations or simply having authority over any government operations in a barangay is within the powers of barangay officials.  

This could be the reason why these officials accused PDEA of “knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully” not observing and following the prescribed rules and procedures in buy-bust operations.

But another set of laws seems to be in favor of PDEA in a way.  Section 21 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) did not require witnesses in anti-illegal drug operations to be from a subject barangay.

The experience of the agency showed many instances when barangay officials who witnessed buy-bust operations would deny having signed the inventory sheet of items recovered from drug suspects.  Some of them even claimed that their signatures were forged.

These incidents often led to dismissal of many cases filed against drug suspects.

Confidentiality of the drug operation is a prime consideration, according to the drug agency.

When staging sting operations, PDEA agents take into consideration several factors. This includes the possibility of barangay officials protecting the drug suspects.

According to one of its officials, “there should be no leaks as to when or where the PDEA agents would operate so as to deny drug suspects the chance of fleeing", reported Panay News.

Can Barangay Officials Carry Firearms?

A barangay official in Pampanga had been criticized recently when a photograph showed him carrying a long firearm while manning traffic along a portion of the national highway.

Sun Star Pampanga reported that the barangay official justified his actions by saying that he was just responding to a robbery incident where a couple were shot and robbed by robbers riding in motorcycles.

Photo credit news.am.

Besides "barangay executives may carry firearms during hot pursuit operations" he further justified.

Which I believe to be partly correct because the law indeed allows barangay chairmen to bear arms, subject to appropriate rules and regulations. 

But brandishing a firearm by someone not properly identified in a national highway could not only cause alarm to passing motorists but could also be technically wrong, or even illegal.  A national highway is no longer barangay territory although it may be passing through a barangay.

The barangay chairman in question cited Section 389 of the Local Government Code which states that "In the performance of his peace and order functions, the punong barangay shall be entitled to possess and carry the necessary firearm within his territorial jurisdiction, subject to appropriate rules and regulations".

Speaking of “appropriate rules and regulations”, what are these rules?  And who issue the rules?

One time I saw a barangay chairman signed documents on the firearms issued to him by the provincial capitol.  Was the provincial government the one issuing the firearm or was it just merely facilitating it for the PNP?

In another instance, I witnessed the issuance of shotguns several years back by a senator (now a congressman) to the barangays of a town.  I learned that this was from his CDF funds or more notoriously known as “pork barrel”.  This former senator turned congressman is the father of an ex-congressman who is currently subject of a COA investigation. 

But that is another story.

My point here is this, are congressmen allowed too to issue high-powered firearms such as shotguns to barangays?  

Unfortunately, one of these shotguns was not used according to “appropriate rules and regulations”.  It even cost the life of a barangay constituent. 

A barangay chairman of the town who received one of these shotguns allowed a tanod in his barangay to use it in his regular patrols.  Take note that Section 389 specifically prescribes that only the chairman is authorized to carry firearms. 

One time the barangay hall received a call that a drunk was creating trouble in the neighborhood.  When the tanod arrived at the area to pacify the troublemaker, he was attacked by the drunk with a bolo.  Acting in self-defense, he was forced to use the gun on the man, according to those who witnessed the incident. The man died instantly from the shotgun’s blast to his face.

Because of this incident, this tanod who’s obviously just doing his job is now facing charges and is only out on bail.  Not because rules on handling firearms in the barangay was the issue.  He’s in trouble because of the election ban on carrying of firearms during an election period! Talking of technicalities.

Anyway, this issue of carrying firearms by barangay officials makes me ask questions. 

What should be the protocols?  Are barangay chairmen the only ones that should be allowed by law to carry firearms?  Should it not extend to qualified tanods as well? 

When you hear about sightings of armed men roaming around in your neighborhood in the middle of the night and the tanods are helpless to do anything about it, you might say yes to the idea.

Considering the shortage of policemen in our country, arming the tanods could be one great way of preventing crimes in our communities.    

But then again utmost care must be taken when we allow this. 

First, there must be a “rethinking” in the way we recruit, train and deploy tanods or village watchmen or barangay police or whatever, before we ever think of the idea of arming them. 

Photo credit sz-n.com

Unlike in advanced countries with relatively low crime rates such as Switzerland where it is required for everyone to own and be well trained in handling of firearms, we are not yet ready and are too “primitive” for this.

Oh well, maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but what a nice wishful thought. 

Imagine, not even Hitler dared in World War II to invade this country of well-trained militias and where requiring everyone to have a firearm and be good at using it is the rule rather than the exception.

No wonder most of the Popes throughout history trust only the Swiss guards to protect them.