The Bantay Korapsyon-NCR (BK-NCR) team, in partnership with the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-NCR) Special Action Committee on Administrative Governance, has successfully conducted a two-day online training activity entitled “Capacity Development Training on Strengthening the Quasi-Judicial Functions of Local Sanggunians and DILG Field Officers”.

Apart from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission, BK-NCR saw Local Sanggunians as providing a viable and more expeditious alternative venue whereby citizens’ complaints against elective officials may be abjudicated.

The activity aims to deepen and strengthen the Local Sanggunians’ knowledge and understanding of the scope of their quasi-judicial powers, delineate their jurisdiction and set the limits in the exercise of said powers. The activity is also meant to train DILG Field Officers in extending assistance to the Sanggunians in the exercise of their functions.

The capacity development training was divided into two clusters – Cluster 1 (North LGUs) and Cluster 2 (South LGUs). The training was attended by members, both regular and ex-officio, of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Barangay of all seventeen (17) LGUs of NCR, DILG-NCR Field Officers and representatives from Civil Society Organizations.

A total of 565 participants attended the activity, 300 on the first day and 265 on the second day.

The training proper was conducted by subject matter experts in the persons of: Atty. Romeo Benitez of DILG Legal and Legislative Liaison Service, Atty. Emeterio Moreno, Jr. of the City of Manila, Atty. Aloi Renz Santos of Commission of Human Rights III, and Dir. Ronald Barcena of Social Housing Financing Corporation – all of whom generously shared with the participants their expertise on local governance and administrative proceedings.

In the words of Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing III, who is the supervising authority of Bantay Korapsyon, “What is important today is to involve the citizens in governance…participatory governance is good governance.”