"A Talk with the Captains"

The barangay, being the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, is the most important unit in society that a law enforcer must be on good terms with. The reason is that enforcing the law at the barangay level allows the officer to have a good relationship with its citizen. Apart from that, the security personnel employed by the barangay serves as a force multiplier that increases the overall strength of the main law enforcement body, the PNP, without dedicating a separate budget for the unit expansion. With that said, having a dialogue with the barangay captain is an invaluable asset that each law enforcement officer must perform if the situation allows you to do so.

This activity aims to raise awareness of Barangay Captains in handling different cases within their jurisdiction. This will strengthen the Police-Community relation wherein they can build the respect of the people as well as the trust of the organization to the community in gathering information. Working with the barangay allows the police to effectively reduce crime, protect communities, and ensure justice. This aims to establish a good relationship with the community. Law Enforcement-Community ties are one of the ingredients of how we can fully handle the uncertainties and issues occurring at the barangay level. [1]

Dialogue with the Barangay Captain is one way of doing so, for them to be able to address their concerns and for the police to give insights, preventive measures, and enhancements that will help the barangay officials to become more knowledgeable and effective in working within their vicinity. The Philippine National Police must strive to maintain good communication with the community for it is imperative for developing trust between police and citizens. Without this trust, police work becomes much less effective. Even if the police officers are preventing crime, the people may not feel safe because there is no trust. [1]

As a soon member of the PNP organization, it is essential to learn and know the importance of having a dialogue with the barangay captain since we, cadets will be deployed in different areas of the country wherein different barangays are part of our area of responsibility that we are going to lead. Additionally, our experiences gained from our summer training inside the Academy such as the Public Safety Intervention Course and the Cadet Attachment Program would be a great help for us to perform this kind of activity effectively.

Moreover, all the knowledge we have earned through the four years of our cadetship can be a way for us to be able to perform our duties and responsibilities outstandingly and effectively. In line with PGEN. Rodolfo S. Azurin’s “KASIMBAYANAN” Kapulisan, Simbahan, at Pamayanan.

Reference:

[1]Military conducts dialogues in 6 barangays - SUNSTAR