HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
RECEIVED

Oy

DATE:
“IME:
BY:

REGISTRATION UNIT

Republic of the Philippines
1S BILLS AND XE X SERVICE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

06

HOUSE BILL NO:

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVES RODOLFO C. FARINAS, PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ,
ROLANDO G. ANDAYA, JR., MICHAEL JOHN R. DUAVIT,
CARLOS O COJUANGCO, ELISA T. KHO, RANEO E. ABU,
BENHUR L. SALIMBANGON, DANILO E. SUAREZ,
RODEL M. BATOCABE and KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to enhance public order and safety at the local level by
mandating the creation of a Department of Public Safety in every province,
city and municipality to improve the capability of local government units to
meet the demand for greater safety and security, better local traffic
management, and enhanced disaster preparedness and response.

Currently, only a handful of highly urbanized cities have their own
dedicated and integrated department in-charge of public order and safety.
The norm among local government units is to rely on other local and
national agencies to address particular public order and safety concerns.
This makes local government units less responsive to the pressing public
order and safety problems that the nation currently faces.

The National Economic and Development Authority cites a study
which states that each day, losses incurred from vehicular traffic
congestion in the National Capital Region alone amount to P3 billion.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health estimates that accidents of all types,
including road accidents, are ranked fourth in the causes of mortality for all
ages, with the annual economic cost of road traffic injuries estimated at


P3.5 million per fatal accident and P734,867 per serious injury. The public
also incurs economic and other losses in instances of deaths, injuries and
damage to property due to crime and natural or man-made disasters and
calamities. Many of such losses, however, may be prevented by a more
responsive and better prepared government at the local level. A proactive
local approach can be part of a broader and more comprehensive solution
to the challenges that the country confronts in the areas of public order and
safety.

This bill promotes greater commitment to public order and safety by
local government units and increases their responsiveness by establishing
a fully-functional and responsive central command and control center and
emergency response and management system. Further, the proposed
measure institutionalizes the creation of a Department of Public Safety
under the direct control and supervision of the provincial governor, city and
municipal mayor. The Department of Public Safety will support and
augment law enforcement, oversee the operations of private security
agencies and security guards, clear sidewalks and public spaces of
obstruction, and mitigate the effects of disasters and calamities. The bill
also allows for contiguous municipalities and cities to jointly establish
collective command and control centers and emergency response and
management systems pending the ability of certain municipalities and cities
to establish their own independent centers and systems.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is highly
recommended.

PANTALEON (AREZ RODOLFO C. FARINAS


(Creating the Department of Safety)

RO! G. ANDAYA, JR. Stage sonn R. DUAVIT
Lae 2 Cyrene ee

CAI . COSY, ELISA T. KHO

UR L. SALIMBANGON

COrere/

£
DANILO & SUAREZ JODEL M. BATOCABE

RLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

ne

Go

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVES RODOLFO C. FARINAS, PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ,
ROLANDO G. ANDAYA, JR., MICHAEL JOHN R. DUAVIT,
CARLOS O COJUANGCO, ELISA T. KHO, RANEO E. ABU,
BENHUR L. SALIMBANGON, DANILO E. SUAREZ,
RODEL M. BATOCABE and KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALES

AN ACT
ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BY ESTABLISHING
AND MAINTAINING A DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN EVERY
PROVINCE, CITY AND MUNICIPALITY

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Public
Safety Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — \t is the policy of the State to
promote public order, ensure public safety and further spur economic
development through the enhancement of local government capability in
addressing safety and security concerns and maintaining public order including

the implementation of efficient and effective local traffic management and


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disaster preparedness and relief operations. Towards this end, all local
government units shall establish and maintain a fully functional and responsive
central command and control center and emergency response and management
system in order to protect and preserve the right of the people to life, liberty and
property.

SEC.3. Creation of a Department of Public Safety. — Every
province, city and municipality is hereby mandated to create a Department of
Public Safety (DPS) which, under the direct control and supervision of the
provincial governor, city or municipal mayor, is tasked to implement public order
and safety laws and ordinances, help reduce vehicular traffic congestion and
address the effects of man-made and natural disasters. The DPS shall operate a
fully-functional and responsive central command and control center and
emergency response and management system that will connect constituents
needing immediate assistance with the emergency resources of the government,
such as law enforcement, medical services, and fire and rescue services, using
the most appropriate and available technologies and communications, with a
fully-operative call center and dispatch hotline, adequate and well-trained staff,
sufficient and up-to-date emergency response equipment, all consistent with
national standards and best practices.

Contiguous municipalities and cities may, through their local chief
executives, enter into arrangements and agreements to establish collective

command and control centers and emergency response and management


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systems pending the ability of certain municipalities and cities to establish their
own independent centers and systems.

Any province, city or municipality with an existing DPS or similar agency
shall retain the same but must conform with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4. Powers and Functions. - The DPS shall exercise the
following powers and functions:

(a) Prepare, integrate, coordinate, supervise and control all plans,
programs, projects and activities of the local government relative to the
promotion and maintenance of peace and order and the protection of life, liberty
and property;

(b) Secure the general public and maintain public order in conjunction
with the police and other national law enforcement agencies;

(c) | Augment auxiliary traffic services and support other agencies tasked
to enforce traffic management;

(d) Issue temporary terminal permits to public utility vehicles and
manage public utility vehicle terminals;

(e) Monitor and supervise private security agencies and security guards
and issue their security clearances and business or work permits;

(f) Issue traffic clearance certificates to business establishments;

(g) Clear sidewalks, public parks and other public areas of obstructions

such as unauthorized structures or fixtures and unlicensed vendors; and


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(h) Organize plans for and undertake evacuation, rescue and relief
operations in times of disasters, calamities and civil disturbances;

(i) Establish, maintain and operate a central command and control
center and emergency response and management system that will monitor and
respond to various contingencies in which emergency resources of the
government are required by the constituents.

Accordingly, existing departments within the local government units whose
primary functions are those enumerated above are hereby integrated and
included within the DPS. The DPS may assume additional functions other than
those enumerated above and may absorb other offices or agencies within the
local government unit as long as the functions or offices are in relation to public
order, safety and security and the protection of life, liberty or property, unless an
existing law expressly prohibits the same.

SEC. 5. Funding. — The amount necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of
the local government units. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for
continued implementation shall be included in the annual budget of the local
government unit.

SEC. 6. Compliance Period. — The local government units shall
comply within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. Within thirty (30) days
from compliance, the governor, city or municipal mayor shall report the same to

the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.


SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - \f, for any reason, any section or
provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid by the Supreme Court,
the other sections or provisions hereof not affected by such declaration shall
remain in force and effect.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. — All existing laws, orders, decrees, rules
and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC.9. _ Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,