City councilor wants Talisay peace and order council institutionalized

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Council is set to pass an ordinance institutionalizing a peace and order council.

City Councilor Danilo Caballero, who is the chairman of the council committee on peace and order, said the measure he introduced before the council aims to address ambiguities existing between the Talisay City Peace and Order Council and the Talisay City Police Coordinating and Advisory Council at the Office of the Vice Mayor.

According to Caballero, the existing city peace and order council has not been founded and supplemented by any city ordinance but adopts some provisions of the ordinance on the creation of the Talisay City PCAC.

"We want this institutionalized. With the passage of the ordinance, we aim to broaden the participation of people's organizations and civil society for better program implementation," Caballero said.

The Police Advisory Council was first introduced on November 17, 1975. Then president Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order No. 727, series of 1981, creating the Peace and Order Council as replacement of PCAC.

The city peace and order council will be composed of the mayor as honorary chairman with committee chair on peace and order as co-chairman.

Members of the council include the president of the Association of Barangay Council, city police chief, city jail warden, city fire marshal, traffic head, city social welfare officer, information officer, city legal officer, city administrator, city budget officer, city school division superintendent and DILG officer who will act as secretary.

Among the major tasks of the council are to provide a forum for dialogue and deliberate major issues and problems that will affect peace and order, including insurgency and terrorism; recommend measures which will improve or enhance peace and order and public safety; recommend measures to converge and orchestrate internal security operations efforts of civil authorities and agencies, military and police.

If the ordinance will be approved, the Talisay City Peace and order Council will hold regular meeting at least twice a month and such special meetings as may be convened by the chairman. The members including the chairman and co-chairman of the council will receive a P1,000 honorarium.

The proposal, Caballero said, will be presented on Tuesday's council session for approval.  (FREEMAN)