Barangay Justice System as a complement to WCPD

Others only know about the Women and Children Protection Desk when the infomercial was aired on major television channels. That infomercial provides a snapshot at what the project is, and its overall role in the community. But everyone should know that this is just one of the many projects of the Department of Interior and Local Government that are geared towards the protection of the rights of women and children.

One such project that is still under the radar but making its mark in the right ways is the Barangay Human Rights Program. This is another program under the guidance of the office of Secretary Ronnie Puno that makes sure that police and the local officials are properly informed regarding the rights of women and children and in the process ensures that their rights are well-protected. The secretary is working extra hard to make sure that the barangay officials will work hard in order to attain the objectives of this new program.

In order to ensure that the local executives and the barangay officials will do its job, the secretary has urged the officials to support and to attend the many training initiatives. The training initiatives will definitely help the barangay officials perform their duty well. He added that the training program will give the officials the tools and right practices that can guide them in the implementation of the Barangay Justice System. Based on the plan, the training arm of the department, the Local Government Academy is the one that is tasked to conduct the training as assisted by the different DILG regional offices. All of these trainings are governed by the theme, The Barangay Human Rights Program: Accessing Justice through Gender-Responsive and Child-Friendly Barangay Justice System. The trainings will be conducted in many towns and cities across the country. With the arrival of this other program from the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Women and Children Protection Desk will have a complement and partner in serving the needs of children and women. Disturbed and abused women and children can ask assistance from these two government projects and they can learn more about their basic rights thanks to these two projects.

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How the women’s desk came to be

By now, you are now familiar with the infomercial that features Secretary Ronnie Puno of Department of Interior and Local Government and the major program of the department for women and children- the Women and Children Protection Desk. This is one of the major actions taken by the department in ensuring that the women and the children considered as part of the marginalized sector will be considered. But how does this program came to be, and what pushed the department to design this kind of program?

You need to remember that addressing the concerns of the women and the children is one of the biggest objectives of the office since the National Police Commission has issued that Memorandum Circular Number 92-010. This memorandum called for the establishment of the Child and Youth Relations Section in many cities and also the establishment of the Child and Youth Relations Officer in police stations nationwide. This kind of memorandum was issued as a response to the growing threats to women and children. And afterwards, the RA 7610 was enacted as well and this was the Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination and this was passed and approved June of 1992. And with the passing of this law, the Philippine National Police has worked with other concerned government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Justice. The PNP has also created linkage with other concerned non-government agencies. All these moves by the PNP and the DILG is their way to ensure that there will be better awareness for people and the police force when it comes to the rights of women and children. And ultimately, the linkage that was created was to ensure that rights can be protected and women and children can be taken far from exploitation and danger.

And all these moves by the department and the police force led to the establishment of the first Women’s Desk and this was established in Quezon City. This was established in 1993 and this was part of the project of the Directorate for Police Community Relations and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women and this project was also made possible with the participation of non-government organizations. And from there, the project has grown in size and scope.

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DILG, PNP intensifies drive against traffic rules violators

Speed addicts and frequent violators of traffic rules and regulations should pay attention. President Gloria Arroyo has ordered for renewed efforts of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police in addressing the issues of overspeeding vehicles and frequent violators of traffic rules and regulations. With this new order for Secretary Puno of the DILG, frequent violators on the road should be aware and should know that there are sanctions and penalties just around the corner.

With this order coming from the President herself, Secretary Ronnie Puno lost no time in taking concrete steps. To be specific, the secretary ordered the police Highway Patrol Group or the HPG to increase its visibility on major roads and national highways. So motorists should not be surprised if there are more checkpoints than the usual since this is in line with the move of the department to limit traffic law violations. Puno has directed its head, Chief Supt Mabutas to heighten the visibility of its forces on major road networks. Puno further adds that the campaign should focus on over-speeding motorists, drunk drivers and other violators of the laws on the road.

The order of the president and the move of the department is noteworthy and highly commendable because road accidents are serious issues. For this year alone from January to March, the Highway Patrol Group has recorded a total of 9,279 accidents and a third of this number was caused by over-speeding. If it can be remembered, just this week at least two road accidents happened in Quezon province and one of the two accidents involved two passenger buses. And one of the buses is on its way to Manila. According to published reports, nine persons were killed and more than forty passengers were injured. Accidents involving passenger buses are common in Philippine roads, and according to HPG accidents that involve buses rank third on the list with 991 cases for the period of January to March. Topping the list are accidents involving cares with 3,698 cases and accidents involving motorcycles that account to 2,529 cases. Secretary Puno suggests that most of these cases can be traced to the fact that the drivers involved don’t know the maximum allowable speed as prescribed by the law.

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Arroyo govt builds more infra than other administrations – Ronnie Puno

In the opinion of Secretary Puno, the Arroyo administration holds an edge over the other administrations in the number of projects focused on infrastructure. And these infrastructure projects under the guidance of President Arroyo has helped shaped the direction of the country. He made this statement during his visit to Lingayen, Pangasinan where he was invited to induct the more than 13,500 new members of the barangay peacekeeping action teams otherwise known as the BPATs.

The secretary added that the Arroyo government did not only scored high on infrastructure, rather the administration also scored well in health, the economy and tourism. Puno went on and said that the administration of President Arroyo is the one that helped the country withstand the pressures of the global economic downturn. Though he gave his props for the infrastructure projects of the Arroyo government, he did not turn a blind eye on the projects of the past administration. But he qualified this by saying that there were more projects under the current administration. On his visit to Lingayen, he was also asked regarding the future of the BPAT on whether this new program will be similar to the existing barangay auxiliary force or also known as the barangay tanod.

Though at the surface the two are similar in roles, the secretary said that there are some major differences between the two. He said that this new peacekeeping organization will be involved in peacekeeping activities in the community level. For example, it is the role of the BPATs to watch the neighborhood and to report the issues to the authorities. And the difference is that this BPAT will not engage in the police functions like going after criminals and offenders- this is the role of the tanods. The secretary also shot down talks and perceptions that the BPATs will only be used for political purposes. This latest initiative from the Department of Interior and Local Government will surely serve its purpose in keeping communities safe and will in fact complement the role and the operations of the existing Barangay tanods. The secretary also answered questions regarding teh much-talked about infomercials about the services of the department and added that no public funds were used in the production of these ads.

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Funds for Secretary Puno Infomercial not from the Department

The issue about the infomercials and advertisements from many government officials and departments is heating up, and this has led one senator to call for an inquiry regarding the nature of the intent and funding of these advertisements. And with the election season fast approaching, the clamor coming from legislators and the public for explanation is really understandable. And one cabinet official that is subject to these questions is Secretary Ronnie Puno.

There are some quarters questioning the source of funding of the advertisements that show the secretary talking about the projects and the programs of the department. They are all asking- are these infomercials funded by the department, and are these infomercials made in order to prop up the image and the candidacy of the secretary?

The answer is no- based on a press release coming from the office of the secretary; the government did not spend a single centavo for the production and for the release of the said infomercials showing Secretary Puno touting the projects and programs of the department. This information, that there was no public fund involved was shared by DILG assistant secretary Brian Yamsuan to the press and the public. The undersecretary added that the funds that were used for the production and the release of the commercials came from a newly-formed organization with the intent of helping Secretary Puno. This new organization is called Friends of Ronnie or FOR and the main intent of this new organization is to air a series of infomercials that will showcase the many programs and projects of the department. There are at least two DILG commercials that are regularly seen on national TV. The first one focuses on the establishment of the Women and Children Desk and the other commercial focuses on the program of the department to add 3000 new police officers to the force every year. The undersecretary also reiterated the fact that the secretary did not receive any funds that can be used to finance these advertisements. The new group of Puno supporters called FOR was launched August 7 and counts a number of well-known personalities from business.

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DILG takes Manila Bay clean up seriously

Some observes that the Filipinos love wallowing in filth, and some backed this claim by noting how bad the Manila Bay has become. Though the idea that the Filipinos don’t mind the dirt and waste is debatable, the observation on the current state of the Manila Bay cannot be denied. This well-known body of water in the metropolis has lost its beauty, and now only known as haven for wastes. For this reason, the government and the Supreme Court have urged officials to have a look at the current state of the Manila Bay. For President Gloria Arroyo, she wants that the members of her Cabinet should do their share in complying with the ruling of the Supreme Court to clean up the bay.

In line with this order from the office of the President, it is said that the office will ask the officials why they have failed to rehabilitate the bay. With this call from the office of the President and the ruling of the Supreme Court, the Department of Interior and Local Government headed by Secretary Puno lost no time in doing its share. The department has taken all the necessary steps in order to comply with the ruling of the SC. The department is just one of at least a dozen government agencies called upon by the SC to help clean up Manila Bay. In connection with the call of the SC and the President, the department has issued a number of memoranda that will require all the local government units along the bay to carry out programs that can contribute to the cleaning and the maintenance of the bay.

To be more specific, a number of these memoranda call for the need to establish and operate wastewater treatment facilities to be operated by companies and residents near the area. Plus the series of orders coming from the office of the secretary calls for the imposition of sanctions for violators. According to assistant secretary for public affairs, Brian Yamsuan all execs of the department have already issued the memorandum that will require all the LGUs to carry out these said programs.

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Barangay Courts that Made Their Marks Honored

It pays to be good at doing the best that you can in your job. And even if you serve the community as part of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, then you can really expect that you will be rewarded for efforts and jobs that are well done. One such reward for community workers like the members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa in the community level is the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Award.

For the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Award for this year, the Department of Interior and Local Government cited four national winners and as planned, these winners were to be cited August 12. The awarding ceremony for this year which was held in Malacanang was actually the 18th time that this ceremony was done. The four winners for this year’s awarding was given cash prizes and they also received the presidential trophies coming from no less than the President.

In a statement, Secretary Ronaldo Puno explained how this year’s winners were selected. According to the secretary, the search for the outstanding Barangay Courts in the country or the Outstanding Lupong Tagapamayapa actually covered 39,513 lupons around the country and from this number, the department selected 51 national finalists and these finalists were selected for different award categories. The list of categories includes Highly Urbanized Cities, Component Cities, 1st to 3rd Class Municipalities and 4th to 6th Class Municipalities. One winner was identified for each of these four categories, and they are the recipients of the cash award coming from the government. So how large was the cash incentive given to the four winners of the said competition? All four national winners that were singled out by the department received 100,000 cash and all four also received a trophy. The first and the 2nd runners-up will also get their cash incentives. They received 30,000 and 20,000 respectively. For the Hall of Fame awardees or those that regularly wins in this selection event, they will get 100,000 cash from the Department of Justice and Pagcor and the winners will also get the Presidential Trophy, and this time the trophy is from the Department of Interior and Local Government.

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PNP revs up fight against illegal firearms by planning rewards

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police takes the battle against illegal guns seriously. The two offices have pushed for the gun amnesty and this is now in full swing. But it seems that the department will not end its program the moment the gun amnesty program ends its run this October 31. According to Secretary Puno, the Philippine National Police will still continue its program after the said event. And the police department is planning to establish a rewards system that will reward the persons that can pinpoint the existence of the loose firearms.

If indeed the police department will be successful in taking these loose firearms, then these firearms will be donated to the local police station or even to the barangay or the town where these firearms were confiscated. The rewards program according to Secretary Puno will run after October 31, which is the last day for the gun amnesty program. The secretary said that anyone that can point to the unlicensed firearms will get the reward from the PNP.

In line with this program, the secretary is calling on the general public to partner with the department and the PNP in order to ensure the efficiency of the campaign. He said that once there is partnership between the general public and police then this can help maintain the peace and order situation in the country. It has been said that one of the major reasons for the rise in crimes in the country is the loose firearms in possession of organized crime groups and the public. And the planned gun amnesty program scheduled for the whole month of October is one way to account all the unlicensed guns. In a statement, the secretary added that the PNP has prepared a list of the late registrants and the list includes their addresses and the persons that are part of the list will be given the chance to register in October. Though the amnesty program will officially part on October 1, the Philippine National Police is now accepting applications for those who want to comply early. Registration booths will be set up in many PNP stations in many parts of the country to ensure convenience.

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DILG teams up with Philhealth for health insurance benefits

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno announces the joint project of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PHILHEALTH) and DILG which aims to provide free health insurance coverage for barangay officials and their families during the recent Liga ng mga Barangay congress which was held in Baguio City. The said program will prioritize those barangays which belong to the 4th up to the 6th class municipalities. The benefit package is made possible through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between DILG and Philhealth and the different leagues at the local level, according to Puno. Under this MOU, the national government through the Philhealth will shell out P1,080 while the remaining P120 will be shouldered by the 4th to 6th class municipalities or province.

During the said Barangay congress, the newly installed DILG Provincial Director of Benguet Province, Anthony Ballug is also present and further disclosed that should the joint project will push through this will benefit lots of barangay officials including their families. Health is one of the major concerns of every family and having it taken out from the family budget will definitely be a big help for them, Ballug further stressed out. In his province alone, the project will cover almost 175 barangays due to the fact that most of them have an Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of less than P1M each. “Almost all the barangays here belong to 4th or 5th class municipalities meaning most of the barangays here have an IRA ranging from P300,000.00 to P1M” Ballug added.

The health insurance benefits will be given to barangay officials as soon as the local government units concerned can provide the counterpart funding for the initiative. The annual premium for each beneficiary is P1, 200. These benefits fall under the sponsored program of the Philhealth.
Philhealth is a government corporation that aims to ensure sustainable, affordable and progressive social health insurance which endeavors to influence the delivery of accessible quality health care for all Filipinos. The main sources of its funds are from the contribution of its members and from the National and Local Government Units for the annual premium of enrolled Sponsored Members.

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Why Secretary Puno skipped the Senate hearing on infomercial

While a good number of Cabinet secretaries have attended the hearing sponsored by the committee headed by Senator Miriam Santiago on the infomercials, one such secretary decided to opt out of the hearing. Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government did not attend the said hearing and instead the secretary went to Pangasinan to attend a press conference.

In the said press conference the secretary said that he would like to be in the conference than to attend the said hearing. The hearing on the use of infomercials as a way to get ahead of the field ahead of the 2010 elections was sponsored by Senator Santiago. She is the head of the Committee on Economic Affairs. The said committee under the guidance of the lady senator has called for the investigation and has also called for the pull out of the infomercials of the Cabinet members and other government officials. If Senator Santiago is to be followed, all infomercials should be removed by the end of the month and the feisty senator has threatened to file graft and corruption charges to those personalities that resulted to this kind of tactic.

Secretary Puno of the DILG is one of those that was served with the notice and was told to explain. In a statement coming from the department, the secretary said that the infomercials that are seen now on television are actually the infomercials of the department. And these infomercials serve as platforms for the department to showcase their accomplishments. Secretary Puno added that these advertisements are necessary so that the general public will know about the accomplishments of the office. He adds ‘is it wrong to show that I am proud of the works done by my colleagues in my department?’ He further adds that he did not ride another person’s tricycle nor he told where he lived five years ago and this is in reference to the commercials of perceived candidates from the Senate. Secretary Puno is part of the list and was invited because he is eyeing the vice presidential post in next year’s elections. The secretary has already announced his plans for next year.

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Setting the BFP modernization on track

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has been taking some words from different sectors public and private alike for many years now. Most people would either complain about the incompetence’s of fire brigades whether it is people factor or the equipments that are being used. Oftentimes, you can read the lack of fire trucks from the newspapers or news would flood the televisions that the fire fighters would arrive on the fire scene unarmed with the necessary equipments to conquer the fire. It can never be doubted that the BFP is indeed in need of fire trucks and fire fighting gears as well as competent fire fighters. Now according to the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Ronaldo Puno, the modernization of BFP is finally on the move as it has acquired 100 fire trucks this year alone. The money was pooled under a special trust fund which aims to sustain the agency’s modernization target.

Last year there has been an acquisition of 58 fire trucks and the additional 100 fire trucks this year will no doubt add up to the efficiency and fire fighting capabilities of BFP. There is no doubt that this agency has long been scarred by issues of failure from different people. But with the modernization, it could all change. The modernization of BFP was announced during the 18th anniversary of program of the BFP at the Quezon City Sports Club where Secretary Puno also acknowledged the efforts of Representatives Rodolfo Antonino, Edcel Lagman and Junie Cua. The Republic Act No. 9514 or the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines was a law passed by Rodolfo Antonino who is the chairman of the House committee on public safety. The previous chairman of the House committee on appropriations, Edcel Lagman, helped allocate funds for the acquisition of 58 units of firetrucks in 2008. The purchase of 100 fire trucks this year was made possible through the efforts of Junie Cua, the current chairman of the House committee on appropriations who pushed for the allocation of the budget for the trucks. On top of that, the BFP is continuously hiring firefighters and that the entry level with a rank of Fire Officer 1 will have a starting salary of P12,500 this year as compared to the usual salary of P8,500 before.

Puno said that DILG will continuously lobby to modernize the BFP and also asks the private sector to help in meeting the targets of BFP modernization.

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Pangasinan’s Barangay Peacekeeping teams will take their oath

The Department of Interior and Local Government has set the induction of the members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams in the province of Pangasinan on August 14. Secretary Ronnie Puno will ensure that the oath taking will push thru and he will lead the induction of the members of these teams.

Supt Policarpio Cayabyab of Pangasinan who is also the head of the Pangasinan police-community relations unit has said that their provincial office has assembled around 14,691 that will be part of these peacekeeping action groups. And as per the plan of the department, there will be around 10 members in every barangay. So what is the role of these groups in the community? If the plans of the department will push thru, then the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams will serve as the partner of the local police officers in ensuring the barangay or the community will be safe from crimes. Simply put, these groups will be there to ensure that the peace and order in the community can be established. And in the opinion of those that designed this program, these groups will serve as the better version of the village peace volunteer groups of the barangay tanods.

The role of these groups can be likened to the roles that are played by the barangay tanods. Though these two groups may share general similarities when it comes to roles, you should take note that the BPTs is a different thing. If the tanods will directly face criminals and pursue the criminals, the new peacekeeping groups are there mainly to observe and monitor so that crimes can be avoided and deterred. Under the new plan of the department, the barangay tanods that are familiar to many may be absorbed by the peacekeeping groups the moment these tanods have passed the required trainings. Though the members of these new peacekeeping teams will be given a modified police role in the community, the members will not be issued their firearms. This is in reaction to the calls proposed by some sectors. Based on the plans of the provincial government, members of these peacekeeping groups will be issued t-shirts, hand held radios and their own insurance.

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Secretary Puno announces full completion of WCPDs

The Department of Interior and Local Government under the guidance of Secretary Puno made sure that women and children will be well-protected no matter where they are in the country. So what’s the major step taken by the department in ensuring that this sector is properly attended?

It’s the establishment of the Women and Children Protection Desk in all police stations in all corners and spots of the country. In fact this program by the department is the subject of one infomercial released by Secretary Puno. The infomercial focus on this big project by the department that actually addresses one of the basic needs of this marginalized sector, the sector of women and children. In a statement made by the secretary who is also the chair of the National Police Commission, these desks are designed to be friendly to women and children and that these desks that can be seen in every police station will be manned by female police officers. These police stations will also serve as the temporary shelter for the affected and abused women and children.

In a statement made by the secretary, the women and children in our land should stop suffering in the dark. And added that the police and legal protection should be for everybody- the women and the children included. Based on the figures that were cited by the secretary, there are now 1,830 WCPDs that are established in many parts of the country and these desks that cater to the needs of women and children are staffed with 2,728 female police officers. Based on the figures, there are around 1,951 police officers that have undergone the right training on the gender sensitivity and these officers also trained on the basic investigative skills like the handling of crimes against women and children. This new project is actually headed by a female police officer, Chief Supt Yolanda Tanigue. These desks are different from the usual desks in a sense that these desks are less stressful and the ambiance on these desks will surely appeal to women and children looking for help and assistance. These desks are called upon as well to network with relevant institutions and organizations in order get the desired results.

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DILG wants more benefits for local execs

This should serve as good news to local chief executives and the dependents of these officials. If the plan of the Department of Interior and Local Government holds, local executives will get more benefits like the payment of the premiums under the Government Service Insurance System. This new move by the department was shared by Ronaldo Puno.

In order to the set-up the system, the department has started the issuance of the new identification cards. With the issuance of this new set of identification cards for barangay officials, it would be easier for the department and other concerned agencies to prepare, facilitate and grant the benefits approved by the national government. There are a number of benefits that are expected to be granted to barangay officials as part of the program of the department. It has been approved that the children of the barangay officials will be granted free college education. Other than this, there are a host of other benefits that will be extended to the barangay officials and their families and these grants and benefits are part of the Republic Act Number 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code.

And in order to realize these programs and plans of the department, Secretary Puno said that his office will lobby to Congress to set aside some funds in the budget that can be used to finance these grants and benefits as provided for by the Local Government Code. As of this time, the department is already complying with some of the mandated benefits that are part of the code. The department has been providing death and burial benefits to the barangay officials of the country. This program by the department is based on the Executive Order 115 that was signed by the President. Under this order, each family of the deceased members of the Sangguniang Barangay will get 20,000 and 10,000 will be given to the families of barangay secretaries and treasurers that died during their incumbencies. Aside from this support, the order signed by the President also calls for another 2,000 that will be given to the beneficiaries of the deceased barangay officials.

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What's the meaning of the color yellow for Sec Puno

Yellow has made a mark on our history being chosen by the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino to be the prominent color of her dress when the regime of dictatorship was toppled over by a bloodless revolution known to most as the People Power back in February of 1986. The question is will it make another record in the history in the days to come?

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has been seen lately wearing this color as he mingles with the people and most of his photographs are taken while he is wearing this monumental color. Ronnie Puno is a known vice presidentiable in May 2010 national elections. And questions poured out if this has something to do with the People Power of 1986 or is it a symbol of his grief for the person who once wore it. When he was interviewed though, Ronnie Puno said that wearing yellow has nothing to do with the commemoration of people power- the decision is primarily on the aesthetic side. It was just a matter of blending with his skin tone. But he added that he was a supporter of the former president, and Puno calls her an icon of democracy.

According to Puno, his favorite color is actually green. When photographed though using this color, it did not produce the effect that they were looking for so his advisers chose a different color for him, thus yellow came into picture and thankfully he looked good on it. It was notable that Puno was wearing the Cory color on two recently released television advertisements. The advertisement is focusing on information dissemination about the programs of Philippine National Police (PNP). This is to ensure that the public is aware of the help that they can get from PNP. Although the advertisement was aired months before the national election in 2010, Puno, made it clear that it was not a political advertisement. It was an information campaign which “deals with specific things I believe people are not aware of” according to Puno who further cited the women’s complaint desk and continuing recruitment by the PNP as examples. Puno also clarified that none of the information ads came from the department’s funds. It was funded by his friends whom he was with when he was interviewed at the Paparazzi bar and restaurant at the Edsa Shangri-La.

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New group supports Secretary Puno

There is a new group that has been established that supports Secretary Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government. The intention of the new group is clear; the group was founded late last week in order to highlight the many accomplishments of the secretary in his department and to underscore the contributions of Secretary Puno in the promotion of peace and security in the country. This new group supportive of Ronnie Puno is called FOR or called as the Friends of Ronnie.

The founding members of this new group include two brothers of the secretary lawyers Eric and Regis. The two brothers are joined by businessman Eric Tagle. It is now known to all that Ronnie Puno has signified its intent to contest the second highest position in the land in next year’s elections. According to the group, the private sector of component is the one responsible for the Puno-related infomercials seen in major networks. The first one focuses on the presence of a Women and Children’s Desk in every local police station in the country. And the second infomercial about the secretary is called ‘Kuya’ and this infomercial focuses on the program of the department to add 3000 police offers to the organization. Eric Tagle, one of the founding members of the group has identified the many contributions of the secretary and these are the contributions and performance highlights of Puno that the group wants to highlight. Here are some of the things that the group wants to highlight:

• According to them, the secretary of the was successful in forging partnerships with the local chief executives and officials and in the process this helped in community building and the promotion of peace and order
• He was successful in promoting and ensuring the safety of women and children
• Secretary Puno was successful in the establishment of a new breed of policemen and policewomen that can effectively address crime and terrorism in the country.

Upon learning about the establishment of the new group, Secretary Ronnie Puno extended his appreciation to the group. The group is composed of a number of well-known personalities coming from different fields like business.

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Local chief execs should stand against red tape

The government is now renewing its drive and efforts against red tape in government. A major testament to this was the move of the government to pass the RA 9485. What is this law, and how does this fits into the picture of eradicating or at least reducing the amount of red tape in government? President Gloria Arroyo calls this law a much needed one in order for the country to be world class and globally competitive.

In general this law signed by the president calls for the elimination of red tape in all government transactions. The law and the implementing rules and regulations of the law are in place to effectively ensure that there is transparency in all government transactions. The law also calls for the re-engineering of the government systems and processes. The new law calls for the need for the government offices and agencies to effectively simplify all their frontline services and this law also calls for these offices to write and make their service standards that can be given to the clients. And finally, the law calls for the need to make these service standards known to the public. There is a specific section in the law that calls for the need to tap the emerging technologies. For example, in Section 5 of the implementing rules and regulations the section calls for all government agencies or offices to institute hotline numbers, short messaging services and other forms of communication technologies that can ensure proper avenue where clients can express their gripes and sentiments. These are just some of the salient features included in the anti-red tape law, the same law that is now being pushed too of Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

In the words of Secretary Puno, he said that the local executives of the country should be earnest in the implementation of the anti Red Tape Act of 2007. He envisions a government process that is fast and free from red tape. His new statement in support of the law and urging the local executives was made during his appearance in Davao del Norte for the 2nd Provincial ‘Liga ng mga Barangay Congress’. He was the keynote speaker for the said occasion that was attended too by around 600 barangay officials from the province.

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Secretary Puno:The father and head of family

Ask the common man or the persons on the street how they see and perceive a head of a department like DILG and the police force, and for sure they will say that the person in charge is tough, strict and a disciplinarian. Well it should be, since the head of the Department of Interior and Local Government in this country handles around 120,000 police officers too. Are these the only things that you can use to describe the secretary of DILG, Secretary Ronaldo Puno? Of course, these labels are not totally complete. There is more to the character of the secretary, and Secretary Puno decided that a greater number of people should know about his true character.

The secretary made the first step, by meeting the entertainment press and he came together with his wife, Pinky and his three daughters namely Rona, Wendy and Nina. They all chatted with the writer-friends of the secretary from the movie and the TV industry. Those present in the interview were entertainment writers Lolit Solis, Ethel Ramos and Ricky Lo. In the encounter with the select members of the entertainment press, the daughters of Secretary Puno surprised and regaled the writers with their good singing voice with their acapella version of the song, “Saan Ka Man Naroroon” and “You and I”. The secretary said all of his kids are good in singing. But the real revelation during the interview was the kind of description given by his wife and his three daughters. The three daughters mentioned many positive things about their father, but one label stands out- their father is the best father that they can ever have.

Ronna who is the eldest in the brood of seven said that she is blessed to have the secretary as his father, and added that Ronnie Puno has served and continually serves as a great example. For Rowena, she is thankful that her dad is there no matter how busy his schedule may be. She shared that Secretary Puno was always there when she needed advice on many things, even advices on love. Nina on the other hand can only think of one thing to say about her father- generous. She added that the support of her father is not only on the material things rather he was there for the family every time.

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Local execs should be active in planning process of national projects

In a very centralized government, the planning takes place from top to bottom. And in this kind of structure only the national officials are the ones that often deliberate the direction of the economy, and they are the ones that identify and plan for important national projects. But this kind of centralized planning should end or at least in the opinion of Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government, this kind of planning should be tweaked or updated.

Based on posted reports last week, the secretary suggested the need for the local executives to have that greater role and participation in the decision-making process when it comes to the national projects and other flagship projects of the government. The secretary added that the Local Government Units should be able to harness the corporate powers given to them and the other alternative financing options as carried by the Local Government Code. And the income that can be realized by the LGUs according to the secretary can be used to finance the development projects of these LGUs. This is the only way for the local executives to get that genuine autonomy, according to the secretary. The local executives of the country should know what is happening, and they should be involved in the decision making process, more importantly in the selection of the national and development projects that will be implemented in their respected local governments.

In support for his dream of giving the local executives the chance to participate in the selection and the planning of development projects in the national level, the secretary has decided to give up his seat in the board of the National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA. The seat formerly occupied by the secretary is now given to a representative from Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines. This is the organization of all elective local executives in the country. By allowing the elected local executives a seat in the NEDA board, then this group will now have a voice and they can participate in the planning and the decision making process of the NEDA for flagship projects. This move in a way gives power as well to to the LGUs, and this time they can put to the table the needs and wants of the population.

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Gun issue will be addressed by making the charge non-bailable

The government is pushing for a harder and stricter regulation against the illegal and the loose firearms in the possession of the organized crime groups and the general public. And this is not just lip service on the part of the government. One manifestation of the fact that the government is serious is the news that the government is planning for a general gun amnesty this coming October. All owners of loose firearms will be given the chance to register their firearms. And another sign that the government is driving hard in its efforts to combat loose firearms is the statement of Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

This latest pronouncement of the secretary is an indication that the department takes loose firearms as a serious issue. In the opinion of Secretary Puno, the charge for the illegal possession of firearms should be made as a non-bailable offense. Secretary Puno said that they are now requesting the Congress to impose this stricter penalty for the charge of illegal possession of firearms. The current law that covers the illegal possession of firearms is a relatively new one, having been implemented after actor Robin Padilla was convicted of illegal possession of firearms. The law right now calls for six years of imprisonment and the person charged will be fined not less than 15,000 pesos. This current law will cover the person who will be found guilty of the unlawful possession, manufacture, the sale, acquisition and the disposition for firearms and ammunitions.

The planned new charge for the illegal possession of firearms will be the perfect complement to the on-going gun amnesty program by the police and the Department of Interior and Local Government. The amnesty program starts this August, and the police have announced that the processing of papers will start August 1 to 31. And for the gun owners who will avail of the amnesty should secure first the permit to transport the weapon for licensing so that the gun owners will be freed from any culpability the moment these gun owners will be flagged down on the road. But the official start of the gun amnesty program or the Executive Order 617 will start October this year

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PNP, DILG will target new election hotspots

This coming election, the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government are targeting new areas that can be categorized as potential hotspots. These hotspots in many areas of the country are indentified by the Philippine National Police as their way of saying that these areas are prone to election-related violence and incidents. And with the elections coming in a few months from now, the Puno-led DILG is once again readying its police force.

Right now it has been reported that the PNP is now working with the intelligence community in naming more provinces and areas that can be included in the new list of hotspots for next year’s elections. The linkage between the intelligence units and the police is their way in analyzing the election related incidents in many parts of the country. According to the spokesperson for the PNP, they can only come up with the updated list of hotspots in the country only after all candidates have filed their certificates of candidacies. So while waiting for the scheduled time frame for the filing of the certificate of candidacies, the police force is currently reviewing the old list. And these areas are historically known for their election-related incidents. The list of the PNP includes the provinces of Abra, Nueva Ecija, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Maguindanao, Masbate, Samar and Basilan.

The police force is counting on the gun amnesty program that will be fully implemented for the whole month of October. This gun amnesty program is aimed at reducing the number of loose arms in the country. According to the department, there are around 1.2 million loose firearms currently in the possession of organized crime groups. Secretary Ronaldo Puno of DILG and representatives of the other concerned agencies have already signed the implementing rules and regulations of the of the gun amnesty program. The police force is optimistic that this new program will be successful in reducing the crimes in the country, particularly in next year’s elections. Election-related violence is a serious. During the 2007 national elections, the records show 100 persons were killed in election-related violence. And in the 2004 elections, that number was pegged at 189.

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