Additional tanods for barangays sought

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Councilor Demetrio Cortes Jr., who heads the committee on police and penology, wants to increase the number of tanods, or village watchmen, in every barangay to 20 from the present 10.

Cortes has proposed Ordinance No. 22-2011, otherwise known as “Increasing the number of barangay watchmen/tanods to 20 in all the 27 barangays in the city as force multiplier in eradicating criminality.”

“The barangay serves as the frontline of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities should support the local government and increasing their force multiplier can help in maintaining the peace and order situation of the city,” Cortes draft ordinance states.

Local government code of 1991 Section 391(16) which provides for the organization of community brigades, barangay tanods or community service unit, but the government code states that the number of barangay tanods should not exceed 20.

The draft ordinance states that the force multiplier in each barangay will ensure an effective response to the constituents of every barangay, an adequate barangay watchmen/tanods should be systematized; to ensure effective implementation in planning and mapping out the unsafe area of its territory and a designed plan to response and fight criminality and to give effective assistance and response to the people of Mandaue city in every strategic area of concern will be assigned by a barangay watchmen.

Once the ordinance is approved, tanods will be trained to enhance their capability to engage in more responsive assistance.

The draft ordinance was approved on first reading last Wednesday.  (FREEMAN)