By Erik Espina
IN several speeches by President DU-30 as guest of honor and speaker on the occasion of the “oath taking” of newly elected Barangay Officials in different parts of the country, the Chief Executive hinted at the possibility of: 1) Arming the barangay captains; 2) And of recent statements, granting the smallest unit of governance a shot-gun, and for tanods caliber .22 harnessing them in the fight against drugs and criminality.
The said plan has yet to be “studied” by the Cabinet. Given Malacañang, PDEA, PNP etc. hold a list of suspected barangay officials who won in the last election but remain in the drug watch, expect not all barangays to enjoy such privilege. There is also the matter said firearms must be made government property under the DILG which must be accounted and constantly inventoried when turned-over to barangay officials and tanods. A protocol of gun seminars, drug testing, plus firing at graduated levels e.g. familiarization, confidence, and proficiency would be ideal. The DILG must however produce an administrative policy elevating/regulating the standards for incoming tanod applicants.
Part of the solution is to enroll 42,029 barangays nationwide with their 20 plus auxiliary volunteers (tanods) as citizen soldiers for national defense, to include disaster training, first aid, etc. The AFP with respective Reserve Commands could undertake a program of training with respective regional and community units. Funding is actually existent and long available at the local government level precisely for this purpose.
With proper administrative coordination between DND and DILG, plus the AFP-PNP tandem, the move would create untold benefits and a great impact on many theaters of national concern. I do not need to spell out the positive gains rising from such marriage. The Cabinet members of the President are smart! With the total number of barangays multiplied by at least 20 tanods, expect 840,580 warm bodies as citizen soldiers attached to the ready reserve. Counted at 25 tanods, will be 1,050,725 “guerillas” in a territorial attrition.
