Año: Tanods not authorized to carry guns

MANILA, Philippines — Barangay tanods are not authorized to carry firearms on duty and a tanod in Manila who shot dead a man last week will be charged with murder, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.

He said the law is clear that police auxiliary units, including barangay tanods, are disallowed from carrying firearms under Republic Act 10591 or The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

“While we acknowledge that barangay tanods play a complementary role to local authorities in the maintenance of peace of order in their respective communities, we firmly reiterate that they are not authorized to carry any firearm in the performance of their duties even if they own these firearms,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief said.

Año issued the statement after tanod Cesar Panlaqui of Barangay 156 shot dead a man along Tayuman street for supposedly approaching him carrying a stick.

The DILG said the Philippine National Police is investigating the incident and is set to file murder charges against Panlaqui.