Duties of the Sangguniang Barangay Members to Maintain Peace and Order

The Local Government Code grants the Sangguniang Barangay members the power to act as peace officers in the maintenance of public order in the barangay.

Role of the Punong Barangay as Peace Officer:

1. Lead Emergency Group - The Punong Barangay is empowered to organize and lead an emergency group whenever the same may be necessary for the maintenance of peace and order within the barangay.
2. Assist Municipal Officials - The Punong Barangay is duty bound to maintain public order in the barangay and to assist the Municipal or City Mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panlungsod members, who are assigned to take charge of their district, in the performance of their duties in such barangay.
3. Possess and Carry firearms - In the performance of his peace and order functions, the Punong Barangay is entitled to possess and carry the necessary firearms within his territorial jurisdiction, subject to existing rules and regulations on the possession and carrying of firearms.

Under the Department of National Defense, Department of Local government and Integrated National Police Joint Memorandum Circular dated September 15, 1975, barangay officials in collaboration with the Integrated National Police (now PNP) and relative to the maintenance of peace and order and public safety in the barangay, the barangay officials shall have the following duties as peace officers:

1. Report immediately to the law enforcement or police authorities concerned the occurrence of any crime, accident, public disturbance or public nuisance of which he has personal knowledge or which may have been brought to his attention;
2. Report immediately to the law enforcement or police authorities the presence of any known criminal or suspicious character in his jurisdiction;
3. Conduct surveillance on suspicious activities or group movements in his district or Barangay to report immediately to the police authorities any positive finding or information he might gather;
4. Conduct surveillance of crime-breeding areas in the barangay and report his observation to the law enforcement or police authorities;
5. Assist law enforcement or police authorities in tracing the whereabouts of missing persons, arresting escaped prisoners and other fugitives from justice, and recovering stolen properties or confiscating contrabands;
6. Assist law enforcement or police authorities in the service or execution of warrants and other judicial processes; and
7. Coordinate closely with and actively assist law enforcement or police authorities in the drive against all forms of vice, smuggling, carnapping, drug traffic and addiction, juvenile delinquency, violations of special laws, and all other forms of lawlessness.