With the PNP back in the anti-drug war in support of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging the public to report any abuse or wrong doing committed by policemen not only to PNP authorities but also to the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) in their localities.
DILG Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy says the PLEB is a check and balance mechanism organized at the city and municipal level, giving ordinary citizens the power to complain against law enforcers who abuse their authority.
“Early on, the President has emphasized that while he supports the police, he will not tolerate rogue policemen in the Philippine National Police (PNP). I therefore encourage the public not to hesitate in reporting any abuse or wrongdoing committed by cops to the PLEB,” says Cuy.
“If anyone is hesitant to report abuses to police authorities, they can instead complain to the PLEB which is a civilian agency located in every local government unit (LGU) in the country,” he adds.
Section 43 of Republic Act 6975 or the DILG Act of 1990 provides for the creation of PLEBs in every city/municipality to conduct hearing and adjudication of citizens’ complaints against uniformed members of the PNP.
Cuy says that PLEBs all over the country are powerful agencies which have the authority to discipline policemen. Among these powers are investigating and adjudicating all administrative charges formally filed with, or referred to it, against any PNP member, and to impose corresponding penalties that ranges from the withholding of the privileges, restriction to specified limits, suspension or forfeiture of salary or fine, demotion in rank of not more than one rank or dismissal from the service of the erring police.
The PLEBs are also empowered to administer oaths, summon witnesses, and require the production of documents, records, books, and the like under the subpoena duces tecum.
Cuy says the LGUs are also mandated to include in their annual budget an allocation for the maintenance and operation of their local PLEBs.
Sec. 72 of RA 8551 states that the Sangguniang Panglungsod or Sangguniang Bayan in every city and municipality shall create at least one PLEB for every 500 police officers in a city or municipality and for each of the legislative districts in a city.
PLEBs shall be composed of any member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod or Sangguniang Bayan chosen by their respective Sanggunians, any barangay captain of the city or municipality chosen by the Association of Barangay Captains, and three (3) other members from the private sector and among the respected members of the community known for their probity and integrity with three years term of office
PLEB Project Management Office
In a recently issued operational guidelines, the DILG said that a Project Management Office (PMO) at the National Level shall be instituted to initiate capacity development activities for PLEB members in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.
The PLEB-PMO is also expected to develop a monitoring system for PLEBs to be able to track the number of PLEBs organized within an LGU, the number of cases the PLEBs receive and, if said cases have been resolved, among others.
The PLEB-PMO shall also provide assistance to LGUs for the creation of a dedicated PLEB office; program for PLEB Secretariat Volunteers; and PLEB benefits.
Financial support for DILG and NAPOLCOM personnel for in the implementation of the program including, but not limited to Ocular Inspection of the PLEBs; Annual Inventory of Cases; and Creation of PLEB Program Management Teams will also be undertaken by the PLEB-PMO.
Cuy also said that the PLEB-PMO shall download subsidiary funds to the DILG Regional offices to carry out PLEB trainings in LGUs all over the 17 regions of the country.
The PLEB-PMO will be supervised by the DILG Bureau of Local Government Supervision in partnership with NAPOLCOM.
A step ahead
Taking into account the relevance of an active PLEB in LGUs, the DILG – Region 1 conducted a seven-batch strengthening of PLEBs in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.
Participants consisted of 125 LGUs – 9 cities and 116 municipalities – were oriented on PLEB guiding principles which included legal bases, composition, roles and functions, and enhanced their skills on rules and procedure, administrative proceedings, appreciation of evidence, and managing the conduct of meetings.
Around 700 PLEB officers from 125 LGUs attended the said revitalization activity.
