BARANGAY TANODS WILL BE ENTITLED TO P500 MONTHLY ALLOWANCE UNDER PIMENTEL BILL

Barangay tanods (watchmen) will be entitled to a monthly allowance of P500 if Congress will approve a bill, authored by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) authorizing such remuneration.

Pimentel said the allowance, to be provided by the national government under the annual General Appropriations Act, shall be in addition to, and separate from, any other form of remuneration that barangay tanods may receive from their respective cities and municipalities.

"This is in recognition of the vital contributions of tanods in delivering basic services to the residents of the barangay," he said in explaining the proposed allowance under Senate Bill 1529.

Tanods are residents of the barangay themselves who render voluntary services in maintaining peace and order and in protecting the community from criminal elements.

They regularly patrol the streets of the village specially at night when burglars, kidnappers and other criminal elements usually ply their nefarious activities.

By the very nature of their work, they expose themselves to dangers of physical harm by fighting threats to the safety and security of the barangay.

As embodied under SB 1529, every barangay unit shall be entitled to enlist the services of a maximum of 10 barangay tanod whose names and dates of service shall be properly recorded and forward to the city/municipal authorities by the barangay secretary or the chairman, for monitoring purposes.

The funds covering the amount of allowance shall be released to the barangay which shall create a trust fund for this purpose. The barangay shall effect the payment to the barangay tanods in a manner similar to the payment of wages of other village officials.

Initially, the amount necessary for the implementation of the allowance proposal shall be funded out of the appropriation of the Department of Interior and Local Government under the current GAA. Thereafter, this item shall be included in the succeeding GAA.

The secretary of the DILG, in consultation with the Liga ng mga Barangay shall, within 30 days from effectivity of this Act, issue such rules and regulations necessary for the proper implementation of the provisions of this legislation.