Creation of WV crisis management body urgent–RPOC
The immediate creation of a Crisis Management Committee in all levels is seen as an urgent task of the reconstituted Regional Peace and Order Council 6 during its meeting in Iloilo City yesterday.
In pushing for the creation, Regional Police Office 6 Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said the RPOC should act immediately because of the reality that there are no existing policies, procedures and guidelines that can effectively orchestrate institutional actions during crisis situation.
“The Quirino grandstand fiasco opened our eyes to the reality that we need a CMC to direct and mobilize agencies and to set powers and limitations on government responses,” Pagdilao said.
Pagdilao, who gave an orientation on the dynamics of hostage/crisis situation and what the functions of the CMC supposed to be, recommended the creation of the CMC in all levels.
He said the local chief executives should also be properly trained on crisis management so that they will know how to handle and oversee operations during crisis situation with clear-cut guidelines existing.
“We are even eagerly waiting for the results of the investigation they are doing in Manila for us to see clearly whether an incident like that is of local or national concern,” Pagdilao said.
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor, nominated as RPOC chair, said the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government can issue memorandum for the LCEs to start laying down the framework for the creation of a CMC in their respective levels.
Defensor also said the local government units should take active roles in the quest for peace, even as he noted that they are not represented in the National Peace and Order Council.
“It is a different matter when peace and order issues are given the perspectives of the LCEs. Therefore I suggest the presidents of the League of provinces, cities and municipalities should sit in the NPOC,” Defensor said.*
