STO. TOMAS—The Police Provincial Office has also thrown its support behind the issuance of a pump shotgun to each of the 1,330 barangay chairmen (kapitan) of Pangasinan by the provincial government.

Police Provincial Director Sr. Superintendent Isagani Nerez said this was a sound move by Governor Amado Espino Jr. who is responsible for the maintenance of peace and order in the province and assured that no regulations were violated.

Espino is chairman of the Provincial Peace and Order Council as well as also chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council.

Nerez said down the line are the mayors, who are the chairmen of their respective municipal and or city peace and order councils, as well as the barangay chairmen who are heads of their respective barangay peace and order councils.

He maintained there is no ‘legal infirmity’ in the distribution of shotguns to the barangay chairmen, although he heard that some politicians in Pangasinan appear to have registered their objection.

Compared to policemen, the barangay captains are considered a notch higher in authority because the former are just agents of persons in authority.

When Nerez was asked whether the barangay chiefs still need to go through with the requirement of psychiatric and drug tests just like any other persons applying for permit to carry firearms, he said the barangay chair is a person in authority and is presumed to be in a ‘normal’ mental state otherwise he or she will not be elected by their constituents.

Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., however, said the provincial board will include the conduct of psychiatric and drug tests as among of the requirements that would be imposed on barangay chairmen before issuing the shotguns.

However, Nerez believed the tests would no longer be necessary and only the implementing rules and regulation reinforcing the authority provided the kapitans under the Local Government Code will suffice.

The policy today simply states that the shotguns remain the properties of the provincial government and the barangay captains will be required to sign the memorandum receipts to cover the issuance of the guns.

Nerez has instructed all chiefs of police to strictly monitor the use of the shotguns, seeing to it that the same cannot be brought out by the kapitans outside their jurisdiction.

“I would like to reiterate that the arming of our barangay captains by the provincial government is most beneficial in the peace and order campaign of the local police,” Nerez told newsmen.

To downplay the implications of the distribution of the shotguns, Nerez cited the requests of some media men who would like to arm themselves because of the persistent threats on their lives as being no different from the needs of the barangay chairmen to protect themselves while maintaining peace and order in their barangays.

Nerez said he is saddened that some officials believe that the shotguns are not necessary because they see no threat to peace and order in their respective jurisdictions.

He was obviously referring to Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos City who reportedly directed all the barangay chiefs in his city not to receive the shotguns and to immediately return these to the provincial government if the shotguns have been received.

Nerez clarified that it was the barangay officials who requested for the shotguns as they felt they need the firearm to be more effective in their role as chairs of their barangay peace and order committees.

In this case, he believes that the barangay chairmen’s requirements must prevail because they are the ones in the forefront in the campaign on peace and order in their communities.

He also cited the current problem in Mindanao where the Philippine National Police is contemplating to issue shotguns to members of the police auxiliaries in troubled areas.-LM

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