PNP endorses House bill on barangay population limit

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is supporting House Bill 6686 that seeks to limit the population of each barangay to 15,000 in all urban areas of the country, to “sync well” with the systems modern police.
“We firmly believe in the wisdom of local government autonomy and the devolution of power as provided in the Local Government Code. However, we also look with great optimism at the best prospects for public safety and law enforcement under this proposed legislation, “PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement Monday.

“The proposed measure also synchronizes well with modern police systems aided by technology that factors geographic information and demographics with crime data as the basis for the deployment of forces,” he added.

The bill was introduced by the Surigao del Norte Second District Representative, Robert Ace Barbers, seeking to amend Section 386 of the 1991 Local Government Code which imposes a minimum requirement of 2,000 inhabitants for the creation of a barangay, except in Metro Manila and others – urbanized areas where barangays must have at least 5,000 inhabitants.

Banac said limiting the population of each barangay to 15,000 residents “will allow the smallest unit of local government with a uniform standard of government to enforce local ordinances.”

He said the long-term implementation of the measure once it becomes law supports the government’s program to decongest urban areas by introducing development and equal opportunity in the provinces.