Provincial Legal Office Holds Outreach Program for the Brgy. Officials, Volunteers

The Cebu Provincial Government through its Provincial Legal Office (PLO) conducted a seminar-workshop for the barangay officials and volunteers in Tuburan last March 21.

This is a result of Gov. Hilario Davide III’s desire to empower frontliners in the communities, aside from providing financial assistance for the projects in the barangays.

The Barangay Legal Outreach Program aims to enhance the capability and knowledge of the key personnel in the localities, said Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Orvi Ortega.

Some 14 key barangays and 51 barangay captains in Tuburan participated during the seminar-workshop.

The program benefitted the barangay police or tanods, barangay mediators or lupons, barangay councilors, and the captains.

Police Supt. Romer Daguno of Regional Crime Lab Office 7 discussed the legalities of search and seizure. The lectures went on to the preservation of evidence and the documentation of the crime scene. They were also taught of the importance of marking, tagging and analyzing crime scenes.

They also had practical exercises to apply what they have learned from the lectures. The Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team reenacted a crime scene and allowed the volunteer tanods to resolve the crime.

“Dako kaayo mi ug pasalamat ni Gov. Davide kay dako kaayo ni og tabang sa among barangay. As first responders, at least nakita nila unsaon pag respond kay uban nila mga bag-o pa lang sa panerbisyo (We are grateful to Gov. Davide for this helpful program. As first responders, we, especially the new barangay police personnel, we got to see and learn how to respond),” shared Teodoro Monsanto, 52, a barangay councilor and a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) Leader in Poblacion 1, Tuburan.

The tanod showed how to preserve the evidence appropriately. They also showed how to check signs of life of the victims.

“Karon pa gyud ko nakat-on unsaon pag preserbar og sakto sa mga ebidensya. Unya og naa mi madakpan, dili sila pwede taparon aron di sila magkasabot unsa ilang statement inig abot sa mga kapolisan (I just learned today the right way of preserving evidence. If we are able to capture suspects, they should be kept separately so they could not discuss things),” said Antonio Bojawe, 57, a tanod in Barangay Kalangahan, Tuburan.

The lectures for the barangay mediators involved basic legal matters that will apply in handling disputes, while the barangay captains and councilors were taught how to craft resolutions and ordinances.

The governor emphasized the importance of the barangay officials and volunteers in the iplementation of the government programs.

“Atong plano nga dad-on usab kini nga programa sa uban pang mga lungsod sulod niining tuiga aron daghan ang makat-on. Hinaot nga ang katung mga wala dinhi karon, inyo usab nga tudloan sa inyong nakat-onan (We plan to deliver the same program to all the local government units this year. We also hope that those who are here will share what they have learned to their colleagues),” he said.

Provincial Board Members Celestino Martinez and Alex Binghay , Mayor Aljun Diamante of Tuburan and Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan were also present during the activity.

www.cebu.gov.ph