DILG urges public to report police abuses to PLEB

December 6, 2017
With the PNP back in the anti-drug war in support of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA),
the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging the public to report any abuse or
wrong doing committed by policemen not only to PNP authorities but also to the People’s Law
Enforcement Board (PLEB) in their localities.

DILG Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy says the PLEB is a check and balance mechanism organized at
the city and municipal level, giving ordinary citizens the power to complain against law enforcers who
abuse their authority.

“Early on, the President has emphasized that while he supports the police, he will not tolerate rogue
policemen in the Philippine National Police (PNP). I therefore encourage the public not to hesitate in
reporting any abuse or wrongdoing committed by cops to the PLEB,” says Cuy.

“If anyone is hesitant to report abuses to police authorities, they can instead complain to the PLEB which
is a civilian agency located in every local government unit (LGU) in the country,” he adds.

Section 43 of Republic Act 6975 or the DILG Act of 1990 provides for the creation of PLEBs in every
city/municipality to conduct hearing and adjudication of citizens' complaints against uniformed members
of the PNP.

Cuy says that PLEBs all over the country are powerful agencies which have the authority to discipline
policemen. Among these powers are investigating and adjudicating all administrative charges formally
filed with, or referred to it, against any PNP member, and to impose corresponding penalties that ranges
from the withholding of the privileges, restriction to specified limits, suspension or forfeiture of salary or
fine, demotion in rank of not more than one rank or dismissal from the service of the erring police.

The PLEBs are also empowered to administer oaths, summon witnesses, and require the production of
documents, records, books, and the like under the subpoena duces tecum.

Cuy says the LGUs are also mandated to include in their annual budget an allocation for the maintenance
and operation of their local PLEBs.

Sec. 72 of RA 8551 states that the Sangguniang Panglungsod or Sangguniang Bayan in every city and
municipality shall create at least one PLEB for every 500 police officers in a city or municipality and for
each of the legislative districts in a city.

PLEBs shall be composed of any member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod or Sangguniang Bayan
chosen by their respective Sanggunians, any barangay captain of the city or municipality chosen by the
Association of Barangay Captains, and three (3) other members from the private sector and among the
respected members of the community known for their probity and integrity with three years term of office.

PLEB Project Management Office

In a recently issued operational guidelines, the DILG said that a Project Management Office (PMO) at the
National Level shall be instituted to initiate capacity development activities for PLEB members in the
performance of their duties and responsibilities.

The PLEB-PMO is also expected to develop a monitoring system for PLEBs to be able to track the
number of PLEBs organized within an LGU, the number of cases the PLEBs receive and, if said cases
have been resolved, among others.

The PLEB-PMO shall also provide assistance to LGUs for the creation of a dedicated PLEB office;
program for PLEB Secretariat Volunteers; and PLEB benefits.

Financial support for DILG and NAPOLCOM personnel for in the implementation of the program including,
but not limited to Ocular Inspection of the PLEBs; Annual Inventory of Cases; and Creation of PLEB
Program Management Teams will also be undertaken by the PLEB-PMO.

Cuy also said that the PLEB-PMO shall download subsidiary funds to the DILG Regional offices to carry
out PLEB trainings in LGUs all over the 17 regions of the country.

The PLEB-PMO will be supervised by the DILG Bureau of Local Government Supervision in partnership
with NAPOLCOM.

A step ahead

Taking into account the relevance of an active PLEB in LGUs, the DILG - Region 1 conducted a seven-
batch strengthening of PLEBs in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.

Participants consisted of 125 LGUs - 9 cities and 116 municipalities - were oriented on PLEB guiding
principles which included legal bases, composition, roles and functions, and enhanced their skills on rules
and procedure, administrative proceedings, appreciation of evidence, and managing the conduct of
meetings.

Around 700 PLEB officers from 125 LGUs attended the said revitalization activity.

Facebook
 
Twitter