Belmonte cites role of tanods

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday there was a need for the city’s 1,800 Barangay Security Development Officers (BSDOs), or barangay tanods to undergo law enforcement training so that they can be effective partners of the police force in the intensified anti-crime drive at the grassroots level.

Belmonte also said the city government is now firming up plans to enroll the BSDOs with the PhilHealth program, considering the nature of their work and the hazards that go along with it.

Speaking before participants of the initial enhancement course for the BSDO at the multi-purpose all of the Amoranto Sports Complex, Belmonte said BSDOs should be rewarded for their bravery and peacekeeping efforts as they effectively complement law enforcers in the fight against lawless and criminal elements.

"With proper training, you can be very effective partners of the police in the city’s intensified peace and order drive," Belmonte told participants.

The one-day seminar is part of the series of training being provided by the city government and the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG).

DILG Undersecretary Eduardo Soliman said similar training programs are also being conducted in other parts of the country, particularly in urban areas, as part of the government effort to combat criminality and terrorism at the grassroots level.

Among the topics discussed during the seminar were legal issues and responsibility of tanods in performing their tasks, particularly in the anti-drug campaign and illegal gambling drive of the government.

Belmonte said the enhancement course for BSDOs is vital so they know their rights, responsibilities and duties as well as the priorities of the local government to which they have to respond.

The mayor cited the need for the police and BSDO to work together to deter criminality in their respective communities. – Perseus Echeminada