Lanao CSOs continue the conduct of awareness on community policing

Lanao CSOs continue the conduct of awareness on community policing

by Jun Enriquez

Iligan City (August 30, 2015) – Awareness phase is the second activity conducted by the Civl Society network of the Security Reform Initiative (SRI) in Lanao del Norte and Iligan City. The British Council and SRI are the proponents behind the project. This program will unfold in four waves, the Baseline, Awareness, Consultation and Feedback. Awareness is vital in helping communities get involved in shaping community policing in the Bangsamoro and focus on the basic concept and practices in community policing. This project is funded by the UK Government’s Golden Thread Community Policing Project. SRI as the national secretariat of Bantay Bayanihan(BB) tapped local BB partners for the conduct of the community policing project in six (6) provinces in Mindanao within and contiguous of the Bangsamoro area such as, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu and Basilan.

 

A ritual conducted by the Datu & Baylan (priest) of Lumad-
Higaonon before the session started in Rogongon.

The Awareness activity is a forum type to bring simple messages across and draw out the community’s aspirations on community policing. It is not the forum to discuss issues and concerns on the police, the peace process, or the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). It is not about finding the faults but imagining a better situation. It is a venue for the community to envision how they want policing to be done in their community. This will raise awareness in basic concepts and practices in community policing so that they can more substantially contribute their ideas and insights in the next phase, the consultation phase.

The objective of the Awareness phase is to raise awareness in community policing to encourage community involvement and role in shaping and taking part of its own community policing. It is conceptualized to increase the community’s knowledge on community policing. It aims to come up with a strategy and toolkit on community policing in the Bangsamoro. It uses a “bibingka” approach with emphasis that a top-down approach should not be imposed to communities but rather the communities should be on board from the beginning of developing the community policing strategy. Thus, the strategy and toolkit will draw from what the community thinks about community policing and they want to be policed.

 

Participants in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte

In Lanao del Norte and Iligan City, Awareness phase of the community policing project was implemented by the Bantay Kalilintad (BK), means peace watch, a group of civil society organizations (CSOs), a local Bantay Bayanihan network of SRI identified four selected areas, the municipalities of Munai, Tagoloan, Kolambugan all of Lanao del Norte and Rogongon of Iligan City. Munai and Tagoloan are inclusive in the core territory of the Bangsamoro while the Kolambugan and Rogongon are contiguous to the Bangsamoro. An average of 40 participants per area from multi-sectors including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Military, attended the session on different schedules within the period of July to August 2015. The participants were asked to answer the questions about what is the role of the police?, what is community?, and what is community policing?

 

Participants in Munai, Lanao del Norte

The participants believed that the role of the police is to enforce the law, in layman understanding is arresting officer, protector of the people, peacekeeper, defender and many others. Their understanding on the community is a group of people with different cultures, belief and religion. Others said that community is a family, organizations with policies. They also understand community policing is a peaceful community with cooperation among the people. It was also believed as a strategy to maintain peace and order.

On another workshop topic, the participants were tasked to give the ideas on the principles of community policing. These are the Service delivery, Problem solving, Empowerment, Accountability and Partnership. Most of the common answers from the participants were interpreted into service oriented, efficient, effective and accountable. In Partnership, the participants identified the Police and community must have good relations, there must be cooperation among the community and the police. In problem solving it was suggested to organize the tribal leaders in different clans; identify, define and understand the problem; prioritize in solving the problem, evaluate and analyze the problem, establish a plan and policies including conflict resolution. 

Lumad majority participants in Rogongon, Iligan City

On the empowerment aspect, there must be capacity building with the community and the police to effectively address the prevailing problem in the community, educate the people and have active participation of tribal leaders. On the Accountability aspect, it must be a strict compliance, every citizen has the responsibility in their respective community, strengthen the police service, police shall be free from technicalities during law enforcement to avoid legal problem. Sultan Saidona Mansumayan, a Barangay Councilor of Rogongon, said that the Lumad-Higaonon, the Indigenous peoples in Rogongon are also have their own traditional laws in settling dispute through dialogues to prevent the escalation of conflict within and outside the tribal communities. He said that this can be a big help on community policing and the Barangay council in conflict resolution when comes to cultural conflict and prevent "rido" or clan feuds.

Participants in Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte

Tina Lomoljo, Executive Director of the Balay Integrated response for Total Human Development (BIRTHDEV), Incorporated,  reminded the participants that community policing is not soft on crime, not another police office, not a technique, not a public relations, not a social work and not miracle solution. The Awareness phase on community policing project was implemented in four communities successfully in the province of Lanao del Norte and Iligan City. With reports and photos by Malyne D. Gungob