Salonga Center Conducts Barangay Tanod Seminar

October 02, 2011 admin

The Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development (Salonga Center) in cooperation with the Office of the City Legal Assistance Service (OCLAS) and Group 1 of the Public Corporation sophomore class of Silliman University College of Law conducted a seminar for barangay tanods last September 23, 2011 at the Moot Court, College of Law, Villareal Hall, Silliman University.

The seminar entitled “Sulong Barangay” was aimed to increase awareness of barangay tanod of their duties and responsibilities as peace keeping officers of the barangay specially with regards to eliminating drug related cases in their respective locality.

The seminar commenced with a warm welcome given by Atty. Myrish Cadapan-Antonio, Director of the Salonga Center, and followed by a briefer on the duties and responsibilities of a barangay tanod shared by Gracelyn Bellingan, a sophomore law student of the Public Corporation class.

The main focus of the seminar was the lecture given by Atty. Jason M. Bandal, a promising lawyer of the Public Attorney’s office and previously a volunteer lawyer of the Salonga Center. His lecture covered Republic Act 9165 (RA 9165), otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002” and Rules on “Criminal Procedure: Rule 113 (Arrest) and Rule 126 (Search and Seizure)”.

Among those barangays invited were Poblacion 1, Poblacion 2, Piapi, Cadawinonan, Lo-oc and Calindagan, barangays noted with the most number of drug cases in Dumaguete City. Each barangay was well represented, a total of 18 barangay tanod and 14 barangay councilors from the six barangays were present in the said seminar. They all attentively listened to the lectures and actively participated during the open forum. Several questions were raised by the participants, most of which were based on their actual experiences or encounters on apprehending criminals, especially with regards to violators of RA 9165. At the end, participants expressed their gratitude to the group for having them invited to the said seminar. It supplied them with adequate knowledge necessary in the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities as peace keeping officers of the barangay.

The said seminar would not be that successful without the effort of the sophomore students: spearheaded by April Mae Gaston, leader of Group 1 of the Public Corporation class and Gracelyn Bellingan, head of the Salonga Center Trainings and Seminars Committee; Jan Mark Baguio, Albert Babaylan, Theresa Gail Petilos, Jose Mari Benin and Ernie Gagno.

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