f1
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
}
F irst R egular Session 
}
S E 
S.B. No
v I0{licf ol lljo 
n
*19 
JUL - 8  
All 5 9
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOPCTO HI
AN ACT
ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BY ESTABLISHING 
AND MAINTAINING A DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN EVERY 
PROVINCE, CITY AND MUNICIPALITY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The State recognizes that “the maintenance of peace and order, the 
protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of the general 
welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of 
democracy. 1 ” Likewise, “the State shall ensure the autonomy of local 
governments.”2
Considering that the Constitution of the Philippines recognizes the 
importance of local governments, the Local Government Code has 
empowered the local government units to ensure and protect the general 
welfare of their constituents through “the preservation and enrichment of 
culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a 
balanced ecology, encourage and support the development of appropriate 
and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, improve public 
morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full 
employment among their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve 
the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants”3. As such, the local 
government units are expected to be at the frontline in providing the needed
1 Section 5, Article II, 1987 Philippine Constitution
2 Section 25, Article II, 1987 Philippine Constitution
3 Section 16, Local Government Code of the Philippines


services of their respective constituents because they have more and closer 
contact with their local government than with the national government.
In order to enhance the ability of the local government units to 
effectively and timely respond to the needs of their citizens, the creation of a 
Department of Public Safety in every province, city and municipality is being 
proposed 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.
According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), 
based on its updated figure for 2017, the worsening traffic congestion in 
Metro Manila alone now costs P3.5 Billion in lost opportunities per day. 
Moreover, based on the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the 
num ber of deaths due to road crashed has been increasing since 2006 - 
with its concomitant economic losses per accident. 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. This


measure 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 passage of this bill is earnestly 
recommended.
VICENTE C. SOTTO III


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
}
F irst R eg u lar S ession 
}
S E N A  ToE
S.B. No. 239
cl ii)c ferm -t,ir{»
'19 JUL -8 All 59
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. ^ S t TO IH
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 assem bled:
1 
SECTION 1. S h o rt Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Public
2 
Safety Act.”
3 
SEC. 2. D eclaratio n  o f Policy. -  It is the policy of the State to
4 
prom ote public order, ensure public safety and further spur economic
5 
development through the enhancem ent of local governm ent capability in
6 
addressing safety and security concerns and m aintaining public order
7 
including the im plem entation of efficient and effective local traffic
8 
m anagem ent and disaster preparedness and relief operations. Towards
9 
this end, all local governm ent units shall establish and m aintain a fully
10 
functional and responsive central com m and and control center and
11 
emergency response and m anagem ent system  in order to protect and
12 
preserve the right of the people to life, liberty and property.
13 
SEC. 3. C reatio n  o f a  D ep artm en t o f P ublic S afety. -  Eveiy
14 
province, city and m unicipality is hereby m andated to create a
15 
D epartm ent of Public Safety (DPS) which, under the direct control and


1 
supervision of the provincial governor, city or m unicipal mayor, is tasked
2 
to im plem ent public order and safety laws and ordinances, help reduce
3 
vehicular traffic congestion and address the effects of m an-m ade and
4 
natural disasters. 
The 
DPS 
shall operate a fully-functional and
5 
responsive central com m and and control center and emergency response
6 
and 
m anagem ent 
system  
that will 
connect constituents needing
7 
im m ediate assistance with the emergency resources of the government,
8 
such as law enforcem ent, medical services, and fire and rescue services,
9 
using 
the 
m ost 
appropriate 
and 
available 
technologies 
and
10 
com m unications, with a fully-operative call center and dispatch hotline,
11 
adequate and well-trained staff, sufficient and up-to-date emergency
12 
response equipm ent, all consistent with national standards and best
13 
practices.
14 
Contiguous m unicipalities and cities may, through their local chief
15 
executives, enter into arrangem ents and agreem ents to establish
16 
collective com m and and control centers and emergency response and
17 
m anagem ent system s pending the ability of certain m unicipalities and
18 
cities to establish their own independent centers and system s.
19 
Any province, city or m unicipality with an existing DPS or sim ilar
20 
agency shall retain the sam e but m ust conform with the provisions of
21 
this Act.
22 
SEC. 4. P ow er a n d  F unctions. -  The DPS shall exercise the
23 
following powers and functions:
24 
(a) Prepare, integrate, coordinate, supervise and control all plans,
25 
program s, projects and activities of the local government
26 
relative to the prom otion and m aintenance of peace and order
27 
and the protection of life, liberty and property;


1 
(b) Secure the general public and m aintain public order in
2 
conjunction with the police and other national law enforcem ent
3 
agencies;
4 
(c) Augment auxiliary traffic services and support other agencies
5 
tasked to enforce traffic m anagem ent;
6 
(d) Issue tem porary term inal perm its to public utility vehicles and
7 
m anage public utility term inals;
8 
(e) Monitor and supervise private security agencies and security
9 
guards and issue their security clearances and business or
10 
work perm its;
11 
(f) Issue traffic clearance certificates to business establishm ents;
12 
(g) Clear sidewalks, public parks and other public areas of
13 
obstructions such as unauthorized structures or fixtures and
14 
unlicensed vendors;
15 
(h) Organize plans for and undertake evacuation, rescue and relief
16 
operations 
in 
tim es 
of disasters, calam ities 
and 
civil
17 
disturbances; and
18 
(i) Establish, m aintain and operate a central com m and and control
19 
center and emergency response and m anagem ent system  that
20 
will m onitor and respond to various contingencies in which
21 
emergency resources of the governm ent are required by the
22 
constituents.
23 
Accordingly, existing departm ents within 
the local governm ent
24 
u n its whose prim ary functions are those enum erated above are hereby
25 
integrated and included within the DPS. The DPS may assum e additional
26 
functions other th an  those enum erated above and may absorb other
27 
offices or agencies within the local governm ent unit as long as the
28 
functions or offices are in relation to public order, safety and security
29 
and the protection of life, liberty or property, unless an existing law
30 
expressly prohibits the sam e.


1 
SEC. 5. F unding. -  The am ount necessary for the initial
2 
im plem entation of this Act shall be charged against the current
3 
appropriations of the local governm ent units. Thereafter, such sum  as
4 
may be necessary for continued im plem entation shall be included in the
5 
annual budget of the local governm ent unit.
6 
SEC. 6. C om pliance Period. -  The local governm ent units shall
7 
comply within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. W ithin thirty
8 
(30) days from compliance, the governor, city or m unicipal mayor shall
9 
report the sam e to the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.
10 
SEC 7. S e p a ra b ility  C lause. -  If any provision of this Act is
11 
declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the other
12 
provisions shall not be affected thereby.
13 
SEC 8. R ep ealin g  C lause. -  All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
14 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby
15 
repealed or modified accordingly.
16 
SEC 9. E ffectivity. -  This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15)
17 
days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a new spaper of
18 
general circulation.
Approved,