Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
‘Quezon City

SUXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

con
House BILt No. out

Introduced by Representative JOSE CHRISTOPHER Y. BELMONTE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The members of Barangay Public Safety Officers (BPSO) play an important
role in our communities. They are the frontlines in anti-criminal activities
particularly in places where police presence is rare or scare. In some instances,
services of the members of the BPSO have been tapped in disaster relief operations
and other emergency situations.

On top of this, barangay tanods, despite their “thankless jobs”, have been
exposed to harm inherent in their jobs. We may recall a recent news report about a
barangay tanod in the City of Manila who got killed while trying to avert a robbery.

Section 393, paragraph (d) of the Local Government Code provides that every
barangay is entitled to have not more than twenty (20) barangay tanods or its
equivalent to help in maintaining peace and order in the community. It also
provides that they are entitled to insurance and other benefits which shall be
chargeable to the barangay, or to the city or municipality where the barangay
belongs. Despite this provision however, most members of barangay tanod brigades
do not have insurance and does not enjoy benefits that they should be getting. It
may be due to the lack of funds of the local government units concerned, a simple
inadvertence, or worse, intentionally ignored because nobody is monitoring its
implementation. Whatever the reason is, it is the barangay tanod who is being
victimized.

Meanwhile, we are confronted to the limitation set by Section 393, paragraph
(d) in the number of barangay tanods per barangay. In reality, this provision is not
followed, especially in big barangays. Most often, barangays which have huge land
area employ more than what the law provides to address their actual needs in
maintaining peace and order. They call the additional personnel volunteers even
though they perform similar functions as the regular BPSO members do. In doing
so, the volunteers are not properly compensated if at all they are compensated and
most of the time, they rely only on the savings that the barangay may generate.

Itis in this light that this bill is being introduced to make the number of BPSO
members in proportion to the number of residents in the barangay and to give them


life insurance and other benefits which they have long been deprived of. For this
purpose, approval of this amendatory bill is earnestly sought.

JOSE Lefer Y. BELMONTE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

59

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by Representative JOSE CHRISTOPHER Y. BELMONTE

AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 393, PARAGRAPH (D) OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED
7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991,
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER PURPOS

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to maintain peace and
order in all localities within its territory and to provide auxiliary support to its
national police by establishing barangay public safety brigades or barangay tanods
in all barangays nationwide. It is likewise an established state policy that all peace
keeping officers, including barangay tanods, are provided adequate means for their
upkeep and protection.

SECTION 2. Original Provision. - Section 393, paragraph (d) provides, thus: "All duly
appointed members of the barangay tanod brigades, or their equivalent, which shall
number not more than twenty (20) in each barangay, shall be granted insurance or
other benefits during their incumbency, chargeable to the barangay or the city or
municipal government to which the barangay belongs.

SECTION 3. Amendatory Clause. - Section 393, paragraph (d) of Republic Act
Numbered 7160 is hereby amended to read, as follows:

“THERE SHALL BE APPOINTED BARANGAY PUBLIC
SAFETY OFFICERS (BPSO) IN EACH BARANGAY WHOSE NUMBER
SHALL BE COMPUTED IN A SCALE OF TEN (10) BPSO MEMBERS:
PER ONE THOUSAND (1,000) RESIDENTS, BUT IN NO CASE
SHALL BE LESS THAN TWENTY (20) REGARDLESS OF THE
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND LAND AREA OF THE BARANGAY.
THE APPOINTED BPSO MEMBERS SHALL BE GRANTED A
MANDATORY LIFE INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS



ENJOYED BY CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES DURING THEIR
INCUMBENCY, CHARGEABLE TO THE CITY OR MUNICIPALITY
TO WHICH THEIR BARANGAY BELONGS."

SECTION 4. Amendment of Existing Rules and Regulations. - Within (6) months
following the approval of the President of this amendatory law, the Department of
the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management and the
Civil Service Commission shall accordingly amend, revise, repeal or modify existing
rules and regulations to conform to the amended provision.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All Acts, Decrees, Executive Orders and Rules and
Regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. ~ This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved.