By Jennifer P. Rendon
Each of the 4,051 barangays in Western Visayas will be assigned with one police officer.
This, as the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) announced that it would re-establish a previous program of the Philippine National Police Office.
Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, said the move to revitalize the program dubbed “Pulis sa Barangay,” aligns with PNP chief General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan’s 9-point agenda (Bayanihan Spirit).
The program forms part of the PNP’s commitment to pursue a police-community partnership in support of a sustained barangay based anti-crime strategy.
It is also foreseen that the police and the barangay will collaborate, not only in this time of pandemic but in other calamities, manmade or otherwise.
Under the guidelines, the police officer to be assigned in barangays shall preferably be a resident of the barangay where he/she is deployed and must exhibit professionalism, problem-solving ability and initiative.
The PNP personnel to be deployed as Pulis sa Barangay must hold the rank of Police Corporal depending on the availability of personnel per station.
“Our personnel must be familiar with the peace and order situation, terrain and culture of the place for him to become an effective Pulis sa Barangay” Pamuspusan said during the staff conference on Tuesday.
He stressed that being a “Pulis sa Barangay” is on top of the present duties and responsibilities of the police officer.
Their primary function is to serve as a conduit between the PNP and the Barangay.
They will also be responsible for their schedule on how to serve the barangay.
Meanwhile, PRO-6 also reminded that any activities which shall be undertaken by the Pulis sa Barangay must be made in close coordination with the barangay officials and other key stakeholders and support groups. “We do not want to interfere. We just want to let the community be actively involved in peacekeeping,” Pamuspusan said.
