The Regional Peace and Order Council – National Capital Region (RPOC-NCR) held its Third Quarter Interim Full Council Meeting on October 12, 2022 at the Hinirang Hall, NCRPO Headquarters in Taguig City. PBGEN Jonnel C. Estomo, Regional Director of NCRPO and current interim Chairperson of the Council, presided over the meeting.

In his opening message, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Oscar F. Valenzuela reminded the Council that key to the President’s 8-point economic agenda is to maintain peace and order and public safety in the whole country. USec. Valenzuela also emphasized that as part of the international community, the Philippines has the responsibility to address criminality that transcends even national borders, referring specifically to the malign activities of transnational crime syndicates and human trafficking gangs.

For his part, DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Marlo L. Iringan, CESO III, delivered a keynote message to the Council encouraging Local Chief Executives (LCEs) to focus on creating the right environment during the post-pandemic period where businesses can recover and flourish. The right environment can only be achieved, however, if the government is able to ensure peace and order and public safety in the community at large.

The member agencies of the RPOC-NCR were fully represented by their leads or duly designated representatives, each of whom presented the status of ongoing activities in their respective areas of responsibility.

Five LCEs attended the Council meeting, namely: Mayor Laarni Cayetano of Taguig City, Mayor Francisco Javier Zamora of San Juan City, Mayor Jeannie Sandoval of Malabon City, Rozzano Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa City and Mayor Miguel Ponce of the Municipality of Pateros. The LCEs brought to the attention of the Council a number of issues, concerns, and requests of particular relevance to their respective jurisdictions, all of which were duly acknowledged and endorsed for appropriate action by the RPOC-NCR members concerned.

On a related matter, KASIMBAYANAN, which stands for KApulisan, SIMBahan and PamaYANAN, is a program initiated by the PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr., which aims to enlist the participation of Faith-based groups, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the public in a collective effort, alongside the PNP, to promote peace and order and public safety in local communities.

Atty. Alberto A. Bernardo, CESO I, Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), reiterated the provisions of Republic Act No. 8851 which deals with the Deputation of Local Chief Executives by NAPOLCOM to act as its representatives in the supervision of the police forces in their respective jurisdictions.

Finally, eight resolutions were submitted to the Council, including adopting KASIMBAYANAN as a civil relations strategy and acknowledging for the record the BIDA (Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan) program, which was launched recently to refocus the government’s illegal drug campaigns in favor of demand reduction, rehabilitation of drug users, and their reintegration into society and other community-based interventions.

The meeting ended with the formal approval by the RPOC-NCR members of all the resolutions submitted to the Council.