Now comes PATROL for anti-crime drive

Here comes another idea in the government’s never-ending battle against crime.

It’s another anti-crime agency, but this time it’s not a police task force nor entirely a government body.

President Arroyo has issued a directive, Administrative Order No. 36, forming a "barangay-based" security program. And with an appropriate acronym, too – PATROL, for People’s Action Team Responding On-Line.

The idea is simple: if you just can’t trust the police, perhaps a civilian-run anti-crime body might do the trick.

Under the administrative order, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, PATROL will be overseen by the Joint Street Watch Commission, otherwise known as Patrol 117 Commission, and headed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina.

Mrs. Arroyo has ordered Lina to revitalize and expand – with help from a civic organization, the Foundation for Crime Prevention – the government’s "Street Watch" program "through the introduction of the barangay-based security and development program."

Aside from the foundation’s executive vice president, the commission will be made up of the respective leaders of the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., and the broadcast media association Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas.

Also included in the commission are representatives from the private sector to be appointed by Lina and who shall represent any of the following sectors: academe, religious, media, labor, youth, women, cooperatives, and cultural minorities.

"There is a need to further strengthen the PATROL program through a more strategic tandem between government and civil society, to manifest government’s resolve to carry out not only an anti-crime program but a broader undertaking encompassing security and development efforts," Mrs. Arroyo stated in her memorandum.

"The PATROL program is hereby institutionalized as a barangay-based security and development program, involving the active participation of the citizenry and the government through application of various strategies such as advocacy, training, organization, mobilization and monitoring."

With that, Lina now has to come up with rules and regulations on how to carry out the government’s latest anti-crime program. Mrs. Arroyo has already authorized him to use P33 million from one of his department’s funds to start the program.

As the program’s private sector partner, the Foundation for Crime Prevention has been authorized by Mrs. Arroyo to raise money to help fund the program, which would be implemented across the country’s 43,000 barangays.

Mrs. Arroyo has also encouraged local governments to lend a hand through their respective peace and order councils.