By Jun Enriquez
 |
Community Facilitators attended the
Community Policing Toolkit
Launch at Crowne Plaza, Pasig City, March
15, 2016,
|
Iligan City (May 31, 2016) - The Bangsamoro
armed struggle started since Marcos regime in the early 1970s by the Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Prof. Nur Misuari. In August 1, 1989,
Republic Act 6734 or the Organic Act of the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) was signed into law and was amended through RA 9054, the
expanded ARMM of 2001. In September 2, 1996, Peace agreement was signed by the
Philippine government and the MNLF during the Ramos Administration. Due to the
dissatisfaction of the signed agreement, the newly formed Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) broke away from the MNLF and continued the Bangsamoro
struggle in Mindanao. The Philippine government started talks with the MILF in
1997 and on the same year signed a ceasefire agreement to continue the talks.
In
March 2000, an all-out-war broke out during the Estrada Administration started
in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. In April 2003 another armed conflict broke out
started in Bulioc complex in Maguindanao during the Arroyo Administration.
In August 2008, the MILF waged armed
confrontation against the Government started in Maguindanao in protest of the
failed MOA-AD still under the Arroyo Administration. All of these armed
conflict escalated all over south and western Mindanao. Since the start of the
Bangsamoro struggle, an estimated of 120,000 lives lost with at least 3 million
people displaced and Billions of pesos damaged in properties.
In
the year 2010, President Benigno Aquino III continued the Peace talks with the
MILF. In October 15, 2012, the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) was
signed by the Philippine Government and the MILF followed by the signing of the
four Annexes on Normalization, Power sharing, Wealth sharing and Transitional
Arrangement and Modalities including the Addendum on Bangsamoro waters.
In
March 27, 2014, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed by the Philippine government
and the MILF that ended hardships in negotiations for 17 years. The Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL)/Bill if signed into law will replace the RA 9054, the expanded
ARMM. The CAB and massive consultation with the people is the basis for crafting
the BBL which later changed to Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region
(BLBAR). Normalization as one of the annexes of the FAB is taking into
consideration on security issues in the Bangsamoro. One of the provisions in
the Normalization is the Police force for the Bangsamoro for law enforcement
and maintenance of peace and order. In the draft BBL, the Community policing is
stated under Article 11 Section 11 of the original version of the BBL stating
among others “the Bangsamoro Police shall adopt Community Policing as an
essential mechanism in maintaining peace and order”. The Philippine Government has existing mandate
on PNP concerns, the R.A. 6975. An Act
Establishing The Philippine National Police Under A Reorganized Department of
The Interior And Local Government, and For Other Purposes. “… the State shall bolster a system of coordination
and cooperation among the citizenry, local executives and the integrated law
enforcement and public safety agencies” (Section 2, Declaration of Policy)
 |
Facilitators'
training in
Davao City, April 21-22, 2015.
In
response to this, some of the peace advocates and civil society groups in
Mindanao expressed their interests to initiate information and education
campaign project on Community Policing in partnership and supported by the British
Council and Security Reform Initiative (SRI), the main proponents behind the project on Community
Policing in the Bangsamoro. It is funded by the UK Government's Golden Thread
Community Policing Project. SRI as the national secretariat of Bantay Bayanihan,
an oversight network of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP)-Bayanihan
of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – Bayanihan, tapped CSO partners
for the conduct of the community policing project in seven (7) provinces of North
Cotabato, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Basilan and
tawi-tawi.
|
 |
Feedback session in Rogongon, Iligan City, April 16, 2016.
|
Community
Policing project is implemented in five (5) phases. First is Baseline study to gauge the level of knowledge in the
community on the concept of community policing, and to understand how the
participants currently view their law enforcers. Second is Awareness phase focused on raising awareness of the basic
concepts and principles of community policing. It aims to prepare the
communities for a greater involvement in shaping and taking part of their own
community policing through the later consultation process. Third is the Consultation Phase, the communities were asked to
define the specifics on how the participants want community policing to be
implemented in their area. Indigenous policing mechanisms or policing
techniques that may be unique yet effective in their areas were likewise
surfaced. Fourth is Community Policing
Strategy and Toolkit is developed based on the results of the earlier
phases of the project and lessons drawn from international best practices.
Working alongside the implementing CSO partners is a Technical Working Group
(TWG) composed of representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP)
Headquarters – Directorate for Police Community Relations, PNP Police Regional
Office – ARMM, Philippine Public Safety College, Armed Forces of the
Philippines – Peace Process Office, National Police Commission, Department of
the Interior and Local Government – ARMM, Moro Islamic Liberation Front,
Security Reform Initiative, Conciliation Resources, and British Council. Fifth is the Feedback Phase closes the
loop. The Toolkit will be presented to the communities to inform them of how
their ideas and inputs were considered and included in the crafting of the
Toolkit.
 |
Feedback Session in Kolambugan, LDN, April 15, 2016
|
There are five (5) elements of Community policing. First is Service
Delivery,
Community policing is service oriented wherein the community is the client and the police is the service provider. The
delivery of this service is best done through a collaborative partnership with
the community. Second is Partnership,
Community policing is a partnership whose objective is to determine community
needs so that policing priorities can be responsive to those needs. This means
that both the community and the police
should become partners in creating a safe and secure. Third is Problem solving, is key to community
policing. After identifying the problem together, the communities can now tell
the problem to the police without the community and the police criticizing each
other but rather joining heads in
trying to provide solution. It also means working together in
implementing the solution. Fourth is
Empowerment, Community policing is an agent of empowerment, creating a sense of joint responsibility and a joint
capacity for addressing issues and concern to the campus
community and police personnel. This will require training about community
policing so everyone has a constructive role.
Fifth is Accountability, in
community policing, accountability is achieved by making the provider responsible to the client, creating mechanisms
through which the police are accountable for addressing the needs and concerns
of the community they serve.
 |
Feedback session in
Munai, LDN, April 23, 2016.
|
In
Lanao del Norte (LDN) province, there are four (4) identified model communities and
implemented the Community Policing project in the municipalities of Munai, with dominant Moro people; Tagoloan, mix with Moro and non-Moro
community; Kolambugan, dominant with
Christians community; and Rogongon,
Iligan City, dominant with the Indigenous people, the Higaonon tribe community.
Bantay Kalilintad (BK) network
implemented the community policing project in Lanao del Norte, the local
partner of Security Reform Initiative (SRI) with the head facilitator, Ms. Cristina Lomoljo, Executive
Director of Balay Integrated Rehabilitation for Total Human Development
(BIRTHDEV). BK implementing partners include the Civil Society Organization
Forum for Peace (CSO-FP), Ranao Disaster Response Rehabilitation Action Center
(RDRRAC), Pailig Development Foundation, Inc. (PDFI), Institute of Peace and
Development in Mindanao (IPDM), among others.
|
 |
Facilitating team discussed the Toolkit in Tagoloan, LDN
|
The
Bantay Kalilintad facilitators’ team in Lanao del Norte has conducted the “Kapihan
with Champions” on February 29, 2016 at Villa Lacida Beach resort, Linamon,
Lanao del Norte, Attended by the LGU representatives, CSO leaders and community
leaders. Kapihan is a safe space where key stakeholders of the community are
gathered to know about the Community Policing project on its basic concepts,
principles and practices. This activity
aimed to update key stakeholders on the results and status of the Community
Policing project in the Bangsamoro; to gather valuable insights and ideas from
the local champions and identify their crucial roles in the conduct of the
Community Policing project; and to draw support and commitment from key
stakeholders.
 |
Feedback session Iligan City by the SRI, April 27, 2016.
|
It
was informed that Baseline results has a
total of 767 participants from 17 different towns in 6 different provinces
answered the baseline survey on Community Policing (CP). Respondents reported
never having heard of CP (60%) not knowing the meaning of CP (66%), never
having been consulted about it (79%), and not being able to name any of its
elements (79%). In the Awareness results, a total of 1,178 participants from
29 communities in 6 provinces were able to attend the awareness sessions. Consultation
Phase: A total of 1,071 participants took part in the consultations in the
27 communities. The participants came
from key sectors, these include farmers, women, religious organization,
indigenous people, senior citizens, people with disabilities, academe,
students, barangay peacekeeping action teams (BPATs), members of the barangay
local government unit, and members of security sectors.
 |
Participants Feedback session in Tagoloan, LDN, April 24, 2016
|
 |
Facilitators' training in Davao
City, April 22, 2015.
|
In
March 15, 2016, a Community Policing Dissemination Forum and Public
Presentation and Toolkit Launch at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Ortigas
Center, Pasig City. In the presentation, the main focus of Community Policing
is inclined to the five (5) Elements accompanying the Toolkit. First is the Service Delivery, it aims few important
features leading a move away from the traditional model of policing; second is Partnership, tailoring policing based
on local norms, values and individual community needs; third is Problem solving, shifting patrol from
time-to-place based on problem analysis and community need; fourth is Accountability, translating
philosophies and strategies into concrete actions; and fifth is Empowerment,
empowering of police and communities that allows the citizens to share decision
making and responsibilities with the police. The technical Working Group (TWG)
composed of 12 members decided that the accompanying Toolkit would be set
against a measure that included the Philosophical, Strategic, Geographical,
Tactical and Organizational dimensions of Policing.
 |
Mr.
Phillip Thomson (standing) facilitated the Facilitators'
training in Manila, March 15, 2016.
Mr. Phillip Thomson, Team Leader of the
Community Policing of the United Kingdom, in his statement said that there are
many examples of Community policing around the world from which to draw
international best practice and from which templates can be formulated. Thomson
added “This project has fundamentally always about people and their aspirations
concerning the style of policing they wished to have, so finally and most
importantly I would wish to thank the people of the Bangsamoro for their
enthusiasm and active participation in this project and the people and the
Government of the United Kingdom represented by Her Majesty’s Ambassador Asif
Ahmad for making this project possible”.
|
 |
Mr. Nicholas
Thomas, Country Director, British Council (left)
&
Ms. Kathleen Tolosa, Executive Director, Security
Reform Initiative, signed
the contract on Community Policing
project
April 21, 2015, Davao City.
Mr.
Nicholas Thomas, Country Director, British Council, in his statement said
that the British Council aims to promote a friendly knowledge and understanding
between the people of the UK and people worldwide, making a positive
contribution in all of the countries where they operate, and a lasting
difference to the UK’s security, prosperity and influence. The British
Council’s Community Policing Project, implemented in partnership with Security
Reform Initiative (SRI) and the Bantay Bayanihan network is a central part of
their work to support the development of a more open, prosperous and inclusive
society in Mindanao.
|
Series of Feedback sessions on the Community
Policing (CP) Toolkit were conducted in
Lanao del Norte in April 2016 in the municipalities of Munai, Kolambugan and
Tagoloan, all of Lanao del Norte, and Rogongon, Iligan City. Another Toolkit
presentation in Iligan City was conducted on April 27, 2016 with participants
from the PNP and Military. There are 74 practical steps placed in a matrix that
can be operationalise the 5 key elements, the Service delivery, Partnership,
Problem solving, Accountability and Empowerment and serve as a guide in the
implementation phase. In the matrix questions ask, “What will we do?” and “Why
will we do it?” link to the CP Elements and Ethos or operating standards. However, there are 54 items which are
considered inputs with ownership of results coming from the provincial
consultations concerning the issues such as police visibility, cultural
awareness, Police station friendly to the victim, police in proper uniform and
posture, professionalism, local police officer accessibility, among others.
An open forum during the Feedback sessions
in Lanao del Norte and Iligan City have raised some questions from the participants
such as, “This is intended to solve problems but it did not focus on the
biggest problem which is the rampant use of illegal drugs, why?” the
facilitators answered, “It is mentioned as one of the possible joint efforts considered
by the community working together with the Police. Just to emphasize that this
(Toolkit) is a guide and it will be detailed upon formulation of the actual
mechanism in solving particular problems. Other insights, “It is good if
implemented properly.” Others still questions the future implementation and
said “We have no doubt about the capacity of the Police but the question is,
are they contented to follow these (Toolkit) guidelines?”. Additional feedback
from a Teacher, “I am thankful that our ideas are included in the toolkit and
we can outright claim our contribution in the development of Community Policing
Toolkit.” Some police participants reacted that most of the items in the Toolkit
was already in effect but the facilitators informed the participants that the
Toolkit is the product of the community consultation for the past six months.
 |
Ms. Kathleen Tolosa, Exec. Dir., SRI, April 21. 2015, Davao
City.
|
Ms. Kathleen
Tolosa,
Executive Director, Security Reform Initiative (SRI), in an interview during
the Toolkit launching by the Radio live direct from Iligan City said that the
Community Policing Toolkit is the product over a six-month period. Scoping and
designed activities were conducted to ensure that the project was fit for its
purpose. Its objectives is to improve community awareness and understanding on
Community Policing; Conduct inclusive community consultations to inform the
Community Policing strategy development;
and Develop a robust Community Policing blueprint and toolkit for use and adoption
by key authorities and institutions. Ms. Tolosa extends her thanks to the
British Council for the successful implementation of the project, the United
Kingdom Government through the Golden Thread fund support for Community
Policing, the British Embassy in Manila provided direct support for the peace
negotiations through the International Contact Group, the Bantay Bayanihan and
SRI partners in Mindanao and other stakeholders for the actual implementation
of the project in the seven (7) provinces in Mindanao and lastly the Technical
Working Group (TWG) for making the Community Policing Toolkit possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment