It is the unique feature of the Philippine Criminal Justice System to have the Community as its fifth pillar. The community in this context refers to the elements that are mobilized and energized to help authorities in effectively addressing the law and order concern of the citizenry.
As a sub system of the criminal justice system, the community is the most critical and useful component view of its massive and pervasive composition. Enlightened and cognizant of their roles in the maintenance of peace and order as well as in the dispensation of justice, members of the community get involved in providing assistance and support to crime prevention activities, particularly in improving the police, detection and prosecution of crime prevention programs and projects are community.
Peace and Order Councils (POCs) at the national, regional, provincial, and city/municipal levels were reorganized and revitalized “to ensure more comprehensive and effective coordination of government efforts and the active participation of the citizenry relative to the national campaign against criminality and insurgency.” At the national level, the Secretary of the Department of National Defense and Vice Chairman of the National Police Commission as Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, respectively.
Community involvement in the criminal justice process is institutionalized in the barangay, the smallest political unit of the nation. Barangay or village courts to provide for a community based mechanism for the amicable settlement of disputes by conciliation panels chosen by litigants themselves. The conciliation body is the “Lupong Tagapayapa” which is the equivalent of “Chotei” of Japan, the “Panchayat” now known as the “Union Council in Pakistan”, and the neighborhood conciliation committee in China. The settlements and arbitration ward of the panel have the force and effect of the final judgment of a court.
The barangay justice system exemplifies the personnel oriented approached to the dispensation of justice within a faster and shorter time frame, lesser rigor and much cheaper costs. Its performance over more than 15 years show that it is one sure mechanism of diverting cases of petty crimes and civil cases from the judicial system. The amicable settlement of disputes and ensure the preservation of the clear personal within the barangay.
The community is represented in the People’s Law Enforcement Board(PLEB) which is a body created in every city/municipality to decide citizen’s complaints on cases filed against erring officers and members of the Philippine National Police.
The active participant of non government organizations (NGOs), people organizations (POs), business groups, and civic and professional organizations is evident by their implementation of various projects which are aimed at assisting in the improvement of police services such as the butting up of Police Boxes and donating financial and logistical resources, and the like; supporting the investigation and prosecution services; providing employment opportunities, technical assistance and skills training of inmates, probationers and parolees; and involvement in the implementation of a Criminal Justice Information Program, among others. Representatives of these organizations sit as members of the NAPOLCOM Technical Panel on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which formulates the Annual National Crime Prevention Program.
Anti Drug Abuse organizations compliment efforts of the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) and other concerned government agencies in the campaign against drug abuse. Some Barangay members and students have organized their crime prevention councils.
A. The community has an unparalleled role as the fifth pillar in the Criminal Justice System. In this connection community is understood the mean as “elements that are mobilized and energized to help the authorities in effectively addressing the law and order concern of the citizenry.”
B. As one of the Pillars or components of the Criminal Justice System, the community with its massive membership has vital responsibilities in law enforcement. The citizens can achieved these roles by identifying offenders, giving data about the illegal activities and cohorts of the criminals, the proliferation of organized crimes and syndicates, volunteering as witnesses, and adapting precautionary and remedial measures to diminish crimes. As previously pointed out, crime prevention is not the sole responsibility of the police but is equally the concern of every citizen in order to have a peaceful place to live in. The members of the community must extend assistance to crime prevention activities; Peace and Order Councils were reactivated “to ensure more comprehensive and effective coordination of government efforts and the active participation of the citizenry relative to the national campaign against criminal and insurgency.”
C. There is growing interest in the rights and welfare of the victim shown by the government with the cooperation of the community leaders. Consequently, programs were undertaken to win their cooperation as witnesses for the state. Accordingly, Republic Act No. 6981, otherwise known as the “Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act” was passed and approved by former President Corazon C. Aquino on April 24, 1991, precisely to attain this purpose. Under Sec. 8 of this law the witness shall have the following rights and benefits.
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