Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
“Man is by nature a political animal”, this is how Aristotle summed up his view
that the highest achievement of human endeavor was to be a citizen of a polis or a small
city-state. Government was established in order to protect the people living in the society,
make laws and policies for the people to have guide on the norms and standards of the
society. In order to achieve peace and order, laws and policies must be implemented to
responsibility of the government through its law enforcement agencies. However, today’s
modern trend in law enforcement requires the unselfish contribution of the community
people who violates the rules and norms governing of that society. As cited by Guevara et
al (2008) police now a days utilizes the modern concept of police service, wherein the
yardstick of its effectiveness on how to prevent crime or lessen the criminality in the
society. The partnership of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) and the
Philippine National Police (PNP) in the maintenance of peace and order is very essential
in curbing crimes.
Peacekeeping is the basic function of the police. And police visibility is one of the
main thrusts of the peacekeeping activity. Without this, it would be very y difficult to
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maintain peace and order. However, enhanced police visibility may not work in all
situations or fail to achieve its objective of addressing criminality. This is where the police
must share the mantle of responsibility for fighting crime with the members of the
mission of the PNP expressly states that peace and order and public safety can be assured
October 2002, the PNP PCR Masterplan and its two components “Sambayan” and
“Santinig”, have gone a long way insofar as furthering the Community Oriented Policing
System doctrine is concerned. Much has been accomplished in bringing the police closer
to the people, forging partnerships which have successfully addressed peace and order
concerns.
According to Haynes and Thea (2010) crimes are very complicated ventures that
cannot easily be curbed only by the police particularly those that happen in society and the
community at large. These need the assistance of civilian volunteers to help solve crimes.
The key to the improvement of civilian and military law enforcement relationship is taking
the initiative and understanding the difference in culture and how and why each agency
operates. Taking the initiative to make contact with their counterpart develops a working
relationship that will benefit public safety for both the civilian and military communities.
If initiated at the local level this important work will spread to the national level and will
help insure success in protecting communities the varied population of those communities.
Police force tapped the services of civilian volunteers in the fight against
criminality. A number of civilian volunteers and kabayan action group members have been
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recruited to help in their anti-crime campaign. In addition, some of them were also tapped
to help policemen in beat patrol operation. However, instead of gun, the volunteers were
armed with metal stick and handcuffs. The said volunteers were not allowed to man
checkpoints set up to go after violators of the election gun ban as ordered by the
Commission on Elections. They were not earning even a single centavo for their
community work. The barangay peacekeeping action team were required to duty at 8:00pm
and end at 1:00am. Moreover, some of the volunteers were deployed in police community
precincts while the rest joined the policemen in security patrols. But the work done and
The existence of the barangay peacekeeping action team in attaining peace and
order of the country cannot be questioned since they are found to be useful in the combat
against criminality and peacekeeping in the society. The fundamental reason why crimes
in the community cannot be easily resolved is because of the communication gap that
occurred between civilian volunteers and the police force. The problem of Barangay
Peacekeeping Action Team and the Philippine National Police would remain unsullied in
the existing barangays if and when the partnership of the two parties will not be
strengthened.
direct support and participation from the community members, specifically in monitoring
and reporting purposes. With the Barangay Peacekeeping Operations (BPO) and the
Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT), security and safety services traditionally
dispensed by the PNP will be enhanced by the public approach. The BPAT, the prime
movers of the BPO will render services for the community which they belong and serve.
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They will be focused on the three general endeavors which are; security services focused
Justice System and crisis management which includes disaster mitigation. These and more,
is what the BPO and the BPAT is all about. This is the new dynamic and proactive approach
The researchers who are future policemen of the country, find it necessary to look
into the level of effectiveness of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team working hand
in hand with the Philippine National Police in relation to the peace and order in Dapitan
city.
The study is primarily anchored on the Modern Policing System by Sir Robert Peel
as cited by Manwong et al (2010) which developed the Peel’s principles which describes
the best characteristics of a modern police force. The Peel’s principles are as follows: (1)
Stable and effective police force should be under government control, (2) Absence of crime
is the best proof of efficiency, (3) Fast distribution of news to the people is essential, (4)
Proper distribution of personnel according to shift and by hour, (5) The best qualification
of peace officers is control of temper, (6) Proper selection and training is the basis of
efficiency, (7) Police cannot function properly without wholehearted support of the people,
(8) Every police must sell himself to the people, and lastly (9) Police officers must go out
of their way to help or assist the people. The above stated principles are the basis of the
environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and toll-jumping
helps to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious
crimes from happening” thereby giving emphasis on solving the minor crime first before
it becomes worst.
The Chicago Police Department also developed and implemented a program which
is called Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy wherein its goals is to blend traditional
and police to work together to reduce the occurrence of crimes. It was implemented after a
realization that between the 1960s and 1990s, the community and police were becoming
increasingly isolated from one another throughout the country and in Chicago.
This alternative method was designed to isolate the community and the police less
than traditional methods. CAPS emphasized the need for increased lines of communication
between the community and the police, so that together they could come up with solutions
for chronic neighborhood problems. Their motto was “Together We Can” which promoted
the cooperation of police, community and city services in fighting crime. This concludes
that the crime resolution is impossible when there is no cooperation coming from the
community. That is why, we need to have good relationship with the community for it is
for delivering basic police services adhering to the following basic concepts have been
adopted – the so called COPS. The following were the COPS objectives: (1) The police
and community are co-producers of police vices. Hence, peace and order is shared joint
responsibility of the community and the police. (2) Put emphasis on the proactive or pre-
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emptive system of policing capitalizing on the active and vigilant actions and participation
of the citizenry. (3) It is a Problem Oriented Policing System (POPS), which is zeroed in
The study is also anchored on the Barangay Peacekeeping Operation and Barangay
Peacekeeping Action Team manual and pursuant to the authority of the National Peace and
Order Council and the Philippine National Police, the Barangay Peacekeeping Action
Policing and Public Safety System. The BPAT will be composed of PNP supervisor,
The main mission of BPAT is to conduct peacekeeping activities in association with the
various sectors of the community and ensure their continuous support towards the
maintenance of peace and order and safety. The BPAT shall be under the direct supervision
of the lowest PNP unit in the locality. Particularly the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team
shall have the following functions: (1) Law Enforcement; (2) Community Organization;
(3) Disaster Management; (4) Environmental Protection; and, (5) Barangay Conflict
Resolution.
Community is the place where crimes happen and the place where criminals take
police is nothing without the help of the community. The police will be more effective and
efficient if the community cooperates in enforcing the laws, in detecting and apprehending
criminals, in maintaining peace and order, and in disaster management and environmental
protection. The community plays a vital role in maintaining peace and order, and the
Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team is the force multiplier of our police forces.
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The independent variables of the study are the basic functions of the Barangay
Peacekeeping Action Team in terms of: (1) Law Enforcement; (2) Community
Organization; (3) Disaster Management; (4) Environmental Protection; and, (5) Barangay
Conflict Resolution.
the community in support of the maintenance of peace and order and safety.
disputes wherein the conflicting parties are residents of the same or adjoining barangay to
make mutual concession and to obtain a peaceful resolution of the disputes without formal
adjudication.
Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in terms of (1) Law Enforcement; (2) Community
Organization; (3) Disaster Management; (4) Environmental Protection; and, (5) Barangay
Conflict Resolution in relation to the peace and order in Dapitan city. The crime rate in
Dapitan city and in each barangays will manifest the effectiveness and efficiency in the
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utilization and empowerment of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in the fight
The schema of the study is presented in Figure 1. The first box at the left contains
the independent variable which are the basic functions of the Barangay Peacekeeping
Action Team, namely: (1) Law Enforcement; (2) Community Organization; (3) Disaster
arrow from the independent variable is pointing to the second block containing the
dependent variable which is the peace and order in Dapitan city. The arrow denotes the
influence of the independent variable to the dependent variables. The schema of the study
Basic functions of
BPAT in terms of:
Law Enforcement
Community
Organization
Disaster Peace and Order
Management
Environmental
Protection
Barangay Conflict
Resolution
The researchers would like to look on the level of effectiveness of the Barangay
Peacekeeping Action Team vis-a-vis peace and order in Dapitan city for the fiscal year
2017.
1.1 age;
1.2 gender;
variables when data are grouped according to the demographic profile of the
respondents?
of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and the peace and order in Dapitan
Hypotheses
the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team when analysed as to age, gender, civil status, and
effectiveness of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and the peace and order in
The findings and outcomes of this study will be significantly beneficial to the
following:
Philippine National Police. The results of this study will provide information to
the Philippine National Police on the effectiveness of the said program. It will also be an
avenue for the enhancement of the partnership between the community and the police in
Local Police Force. It will lessen and lighten the job of the police and will boost
Barangay Officials. They can exercise their work better and improve the
community better for this will pave the way in developing a unique and optimistic
Community. The results of the study will give assurance to the citizens safety. And
the community will be the recepient of the good services rendered by the Philippine
National Police. The community will be more cooperative in deterring, controling and
preventing crimes as they are tapped by the Philippine National Police to help in the
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maintainance of peace and order. The good relationship of the community and the police
will remain, as they are given equal opportunity in the fight against criminality.
The study will be conducted in the different barangays in Dapitan City of the
Province of Zamboanga del Norte. The respondents of the study are the police officers who
are assigned or designated as Pulis Sa Barangay (PSB), barangay officials and the residents
in each Barangay in Dapitan City. The study is delimited as to the effectiveness of the
Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in terms of: (1) Law Enforcement; (2) Community
Organization; (3) Disaster Management; (4) Environmental Protection; and, (5) Barangay
Conflict Resolution. The study will be undertaken for the fiscal year 2017.
Definition of Terms
The terms enumerated below are operationally defined for clearer understanding of
the study:
Barangay Conflict Resolution. The function which strengthens and supports the
of issues or disputes wherein the conflicting parties are residents of the same or adjoining
barangay to make mutual concession and to obtain a peaceful resolution of the disputes
Community-Oriented Policing and Public Safety System. The main mission of BPAT is to
conduct peacekeeping activities in association with the various sectors of the community
and ensure their continuous support towards the maintenance of peace and order and safety.
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the community in support of the maintenance of peace and order and safety.
conducting crisis management, disaster mitigation, search, rescue, and relief operations
Effectiveness. It measures how well programs and strategies of the PNP are being
utilized and to evaluate if the empowerment of the BPAT together with the PNP greatly
affects the peace and order in the society, especially in Dapitan city. It measures whether
counterpart of the Philippine National Police in the fight against criminality. The idea leads
Law Enforcement. Refers to the first function of the BPAT which is the
enforcement of the basic laws of the land and to conduct crime prevention and deterrence
Philippine National Police. The leading law enforcement agency of the country
who enforces the laws, deter, control and prevent crimes. The PNP work hand in hand with
the BPAT and maintain harmonious relationship with the community to gain full support