By Jose Santino Bunachita 
PIO Reporter

HOTEL FORTUNA, Cebu City (October 4, 2022) — Mayor Mike Rama today reminded members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa of the different barangays in the city to do their work well.

He assured that, in turn, the city will continue to provide them with support and assistance.

Mayor Mike Rama tells the Lupong Tagapamayapa the positive effect of them doing their job well to the justice system of the country. (PIO/Ruel Rosello)

“Ibutang sa kasingkasing ang inyong trabaho kay gihatagan mo og katungdanan. Kailangan magtuon mo sa inyong duties and responsibilities,” he said during a capacity building seminar held here.

The mayor said the role of Lupons is very important as the barangay justice system helps reduce the number of cases and complaints reaching court.

Members of the Lupons of the city’s 80 barangays, as well as a few barangay captains, gathered here today for the “Capacitating Community Stakeholders: Cebu City Lupong Tagapamayapa” seminar.

Ibutang sa kasingkasing ang inyong trabaho kay gihatagan mo og katungdanan. Kailangan magtuon mo sa inyong duties and responsibilities.

Mayor Mike Rama

The seminar is organized by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the Cebu City Government, in partnership with the Cebu City Justice Zone.

CCPO officials, led by its newly installed city director, PCol. Ireneo Dalogdog, as well as the station chiefs and investigators of the city’s 11 police stations, were also present during the activity.

CCPO Director Ireneo Dalogdog. (PIO/Ruel Rosello)

Dalogdog said they wanted to establish better coordination between the police and the barangays in solving complaint, especially in terms of jurisdiction.

“Ang atong katuyoan sa mga pulis, members sa criminal justice system, ug kamo nga mga barangay, is magkahiusa kita, adunay koordinasyon,” he said.

PLtCol. Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of CCPO’s investigation and detective management unit (IDMU), said among the issues they have encountered is clients frustrated over the need to go back and forth the barangay and the police station in bringing up their complaints.

They also noticed that there is no feedback mechanism on referrals from the police to the barangay, and that there is no standard format on referrals.

PLtCol. Maria Theresa Macatangay. (Photo: PNA)

“Importante nga masayod ta sa atong obligasyon. Let us satisfy the complaints, remove their frustrations by telling them exactly what to do,” she said.

Macatangay, who is also a lawyer, said their biggest concern is that cases are dismissed due to lack of cause of action. This is because of failure to comply with the mandatory requirement of barangay conciliation as a precedent condition before filing cases in court.

With these, the CCPO has proposed to establish and institutionalize a referral system between CCPO and the Lupons in the barangay.

This includes having a uniform format for certification and referral from CCPO to the Lupons, and vice versa, which they presented for adoption. #

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