PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. has approved the institutionalization of their Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay or R-PSB program which has been seen as a major cog in the government’s effort to win back the trust and confidence of the people in order to defeat the decades-long communist insurgency.

In his Memorandum Circular No. 2024-006, the top cop said the institutionalization of the R-PSB program is aimed at revitalizing the active support of the police force to the Armed Forces in Internal Security Operations or ISO for the suppression of insurgency and other serious threats to national security.

Being supervised by PNP Director for Police-Community Relations, Major General Edgar Alan O. Okubno, it is also meant to prepare the PNP for the turnover of ISO from the AFP through the implementation of the R-PSB program with the mission to sustain the gains of the Community Support Program of the AFP and the Retooled Community Support Program of local government units; prevent the resurgence of insurgency; insulate unaffected communities from the recovery efforts of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG); and strengthen the anti-criminality campaign across the country.

Maj. Gen. Okubo told the Journal Group that the R-PSB program is also closer to being institutionalized thru the passage of House Bill 7651.

On Tuesday, the official led the PNP-DPC team during the 1st Committee Hearing of the proposed House Bill No. 7651 or An Act Institutionalizing the Revitalized-Pulis Sa Barangay or R-PSB Program of the Philippine National Police and Appropriating Funds Therefor.

The bill has been sponsored by Davao Oriental (2nd District) Representative Cheeno Miguel D. Almario under the Committee on Public Order and Safety chaired by Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez.

In his opening speech, Rep. Almario highlighted the significant contributions of R-PSB during its implementation in Davao Region that fueled his enthusiasm to institutionalizing the program into law.

As the main implementor of the R-PSB program, Maj. Gen. Okubo also highlighted the milestones of the R-PSB and underscored the potential of the bill if passed into law in addressing prolonged problem on insurgency, criminality and drugs.

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict director for operations, Colonel Arnulfo Ferdinand Bajarin, in behalf of the NTF-ELCAC expressed his full support to the PNP program.

“Since its inception, the R-PSB has been successful in supporting the Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) Cluster of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) 11 in defeating the CP-NPA-NDF in Region 11 (Davao Region) that led to the successful dismantling of 15 active Guerilla Fronts, which eventually led to the declaration of Davao Region as insurgency-free by the no less than the President and Chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, His Excellency Ferdinand R Marcos Jr in October 27, 2022,” said the official.

After a few minutes of deliberation, HB 7651 was finally adopted by the committee. It will then be elevated to the Committee of Appropriations and subsequently to hurdle the second and third reading in the House of Representatives.

Gen. Acorda approved the MC 2024-006 last January 25 and ordered Maj. Gen. Okubo to cascade and implement the program in all 17 Police Regional Offices to sustain the gains of the government in its fight against insurgency.

Maj. Gen. Okubo said they will also implement the R-PSB program in Highly-Urbanized Cities to address barangays with drug affectation and high incidence of the 8 focus crimes.

HUCs are local government units autonomous from provinces and have a minimum population of 200,000 and an annual income of at least P50 million.

At present, there are 149 cities of which 33 are classified as HUCs, five are independent component cities and the rest being component cities of their respective provinces.

Gen. Acorda earlier commended the effort of the PNP-DPCR to win back the trust and confidence of poor Filipinos in the countryside and help fight the decades-long communist insurgency at the same time.

“I am thankful to the efforts of our DPCR, Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo. Very commendable ‘yung mga ginagawa nila at talagang when I assumed as Chief PNP, pinatutukan natin ‘yung mga areas particularly Visayas area and based on his reports, very commendable, na-hit talaga ‘yung target and ‘yung mga areas na depressed,” the top cop said.

He particularly referred to the R-PSB program of the DPCR which has resulted in the police ‘winning the hearts and minds’ of the people living in areas where there is a considerable presence of the New People’s Army before.

Gen. Acorda also assured that with the support of the Armed Forces of the Phlippines, they would prevent the return of NPA guerrilla fronts in the countryside. One best way to do it is to continue the R-PSB program which enables the police force to bring ‘real government service’ to the poorest of the poor living in so-called Geographically Isolated and Disadvantageous Areas or GIDAS in the country.

By launching community outreach programs and maintaining their 24-hour presence in selected areas known to be previously under the rebel influence, R-PSB personnel of the police force in Visayas and Mindanao have effectively prevented the return of NPA rebels and recruiters in these areas.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also acknowledged the R-PSB program of the Police Regional Office 11 in Southern Mindanao when the region was declared ‘insurgency-free’ last year and got a briefing from the Armed Forces leadership regarding the matter.

The program became a ‘word of mouth’ nationwide that the Regional Development Councils of Mimaropa, Calabarzon, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Socsksargen and Davao regions passed resolutions to institutionalize the R-PSB thru the passage of House Bill No. 73498.

As a result of the R-PSB program, around 17,000 indigenous people and other poor folks living in so-called GIDAS in Southern Mindanao since 2019 are now qualified to avail of different government services, thanks to the birth certificates they have finally acquired thru the help of the R-PSB personnel in the region.

Maj. Gen. Okubo said their R-PSB program helped thousands of IPs in the region who have no legal identity for so long get their birth registration papers.

The PRO11 R-PSB since 2019 has enjoyed the full support of local residents as its personnel have helped construct roads, school buildings, artesian projects and water system for local tribesmen and other poor folks in the region.

The R-PSB personnel also facilitated the mass wedding of dozens of local tribesmen who were previously vulnerable to NPA recruitment, their areas formerly known as ‘insurgent mass base’ since the local folks have difficulty in obtaining basic documents such as birth and marriage certificates.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon