Performance of Barangay Police Security Officer (BPSO) or Tanod in Maintaining Peace and Order

The objective of this study was to explore the performance of duties and responsibilities of barangay security police officers. Barangay officials, barangay police or tanod and other constituents participated in the study. Data collected by means of respondents’ demographic profile, performance question assessed by their duties and responsibilities. Employing a descriptive-correlated design, significant difference was being explored. Interviews with experienced law enforcers like police personnel and people with reputation were conducted to support and validate findings. Recommendations on enhance training programs for them to efficiently discharge their duties and responsibilities and amendments to honorarium was proposed to compensate the risk and sacrifices of barangay tanods in their service. This study was anchored on the duties and responsibilities that are provided under the Memorandum Circular 2003-42 with the subject “Guidelines on Professionalizing the Barangay Tanod”. The researcher tested the hypothesis, “there is no significant difference between the constituents (including tanod) and barangay officials (including barangay councilor and staff) in the perception of the performance of Barangay Police Security Officers or Tanod’s duties and responsibilities. The descriptive method of research was used in the conduct of this study, and the use of questionnaire checklist. The statistical used were frequency, percentage distribution mean and t-test. The level of significance was established at 0.05 level. Keywords— Barangay Police Security Officer, Tanod, Peace and Order, Barangay, Duties and Responsibilities.


INTRODUCTION
Peace and order is an essential ingredient in maintaining economic development, social order and political stability (Bayan, 2011). According to the Local Government Code of 1991, Republic Act No. 7160, the role of the Barangay in assures the peace and order in the barangay level. Pursuant to DILG Memorandum Circular 2003-42, professionalizing these BPSOs ensures that peace and order and public reference to public safety. As the basic political unit, the creation of the Barangay Police Security Officers/ BPSOs, otherwise commonly known as "Barangay Tanods,"security are sustained as the key factor in Barangay's growth. Provided in the DILG's trainers guidebook, the barangay tanod's duties and responsibilities include: assisting barangay officials in crime prevention and promoting public safety through patrolling/"ronda", reporting to the offices concerned of any disruptions or unjust events, tracking the presence and actions of criminals and illegal elements; assisting police and "lupongtagapamayapa" in the execution of warrants and other judicial proceedings; and assisting barangay officials in the enforcement of national and local laws; and other means deemed appropriate in the prevention of crime. Public safety or its absence, impacts the lives of everyone (Moore & Braga, 2004). Under NAPOLCOM Memorandum Circular 2008-013, the Barangay Police Security Officers serving as an auxiliary of the Philippine National Police, are considered as force multiplier. Though barangay police or "tanod" works on a voluntary-basis, they do not hesitate to risk their lives just to ensure the security of the people in their respective Barangay (Benitez, 2013).According to De Jesus (2018), Usec. Diño said he would push for a bill that would grant rights for barangay watchmen to receive medical and housing benefits, as well as legal assistance and right to security of tenure. According to Shoemaker (1996), It is argued that, due to lack of resources, conventional socialization practices and the value of the barangay justice system, juvenile courts and correctional facilities are used less often than the juvenile code would suggest and this situation is likely to continue. Several businesses are already introducing programs to help motivate the public even from the level of barangay, as a way to help curb rising crime incidences (Samaniego, 2015).
Driven by these foregoing insights, the researchers found it was interesting to assess the barangay police security officer's performance in maintaining peace and order and as an avenue for access of security on the local setting. The researchers conducted the study based on the performance of BPSO duties and responsibilities as provided under the Memorandum Circular 2003-042. Orientation on their duties and task, training program and amendments to honorarium were proposed for the improvement of the Barangay Police Safety Officers level of effectiveness manifested on their individual performance.

II.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK In all aspects of Government exist the social and economic services needed by the people such as benefits, free education, livelihood program, and most importantly, their security and the protection of their individual and community rights. Barangay, being the basic unit of the local government plays an important role in the development of our nation. The status of peace and order in a barangay illuminate that a peaceful barangay is a peaceful country. Peace and order helps in maintain economic development, social order and political stability (Ac Rodriguez 2013).
The researchers conducted the study based on the performance Barangay Police Security Officer's duties and responsibilities as provided under the Memorandum Circular 2003-042. This study focused on the assessment of Barangay Tanods' performance in selected Barangays in Cabanatuan City in terms of their duties and responsibilities operations as provided under Memorandum Circular 2003-042.

III.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This study described the the performance of Barangay Police Security Officers (BPSOs) or Tanods in terms of the duties and responsibilities as provided under Memorandum Circular No. 2003-42 and the significant difference between the constituents (including tanod) and barangay officials (including barangay councilor and staff) in the perception of duties and responsibilities of Barangay Police Security Officers or Tanod.

IV.
HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY There is no significant difference between the constituents (including tanod) and barangay officials (including barangay councilor and staff) in the perception of the performance of Barangay Police Security Officers or Tanod's duties and responsibilities.

V.
METHODOLOGY The descriptive method of research was used in this study because it involves description, recording, analysis and interpretation of condition that really exists. It is appropriate to use descriptive method in gathering information about the present existing condition (Creswell, 2014). The statistical used were frequency, percentage distribution mean and t-test. The level of significance was established at 0.05 levels.

Duties and Responsibilities of Barangay Police Security Officers in Accordance with DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2003-042
Based on Table 1 which is Assist the Barangay officials in the prevention of crime and the promotion of public safety is being performed Always (A).  Table 3 Report to the concerned barangay officials or through hotline 117 the occurrence of any crimes, fire, accident, public disturbance and environmental degradation activities and the other untoward incident in the barangay, the barangay constituents and barangay officials' answers had a verbal interpretation of being performed Always.    Table 6 Assist the police and the "LupongTagapamayapa" in the execution of warrants and other judicial processes such as tracking the whereabouts of missing persons, in arresting escaped prisoners and other fugitives from justice, and in the recovery of stolen properties, the barangay constituents and barangay officials answers had a verbal interpretation of being performed Always (A) except this item which is Assist the police in arresting escaped prisoners and other fugitives from justice within their jurisdiction, was being performed Most of the Time (MT).  Based on Table 7 Coordinates closely with the Barangay Officials and police/local authorities in the drive against all forms of crime such as terrorism, smuggling car napping, drug trafficking, drug pushing, illegal gambling, child abuse, crimes against women, all forms of vices and syndicated crimes, were being performed Always (A). telephones as a means of communication and item number and Have an available two-way radio or phones on their pocket to be used when confronted with emergency were being performed Always (A) and under item Active radio frequency or is reachable when calling were being performed Most of the Time.   Under the first duties and responsibilities of barangay tanodwere being performed Always (A)as assessed by the barangay constituents and barangay officials. Second, 4 out of 5 enumerated sub items were described as being performed Always (A) and 1 out of 5 was performed Most of the Time (MT). 5 out of 5 enumerated sub items were described as being performed Most of the Time (MT). The #3 duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod, assesses by the barangay constituents and barangay officials were being performed Always (A). Under the fourth duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod, barangay constituents answers implies that 4 out 5 enumerated sub items were described as being performed Always (A) and 1 out of 5 was performed Most of the Time (MT) while barangay officials answers implies that this item were being performed Always (A). Number 5 duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod, shows that 4 out 5 enumerated sub items were described as being performed Always (A) and 1 out of 5 was performed Most of the Time (MT) while barangay officials' answers under this item had a verbal interpretation as being performed Always (A). Under #6 duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod, wherein the constituents'answered that in 4 out of 5 enumerated sub items were being performed Always (A) and 1 out of 5 which described as being performed Most of the Time (M). Under the number 8 duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod,barangay constituents answered on 2 out 5 enumerated sub items having a verbal interpretation of being performed Always (A) and 3 out of 5 were being performed Most of the Time (MT), while the barangay officials answered on 4 out 5 enumerated sub items had a verbal interpretation as being performed Always (A) and 1 out 5 enumerated sub items were described being performed most of the Time (MT). The#9 to #12 duties and responsibilities of barangay tanod were being performed Always (A) as assessed by both the barangay officials and constituents. Using "T-test twosample assuming unequal variance", as the statistical treatment in the study, the results show that there exists no significant difference between the constituents (including tanod) and barangay officials (including barangay councilor and staff) in the perception of the performance of Barangay Police Security Officers or Tanod's duties and responsibilities.