Transcript of questions by Senator Risa Hontiveros Commission on Appointments committee hearing on ad interim appointment of DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla
November 20, 2024
Transcript of questions by Senator Risa Hontiveros
Commission on Appointments committee hearing on ad interim appointment of DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla
November 20, 2024
Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): Thank you, Mr. Chair. Magandang umaga po, Secretary. Ang unang tanong o dalawang tanong ko po ay on the proposal to streamline the PNP organizational structure. So PNP question din po, tulad ni Rep. Marvey.
Last month, you recommended to the President that the number of generals in the Philippine National Police be reduced from the current 133 to 25. Before the media, you stated that the President was amenable to this recommendation as there were a lot of generals now without commands. Specifically, you said that there were a number of area police commands without any personnel under their command.
Responding to this proposal, the PNP leadership stated that while they support your initiative to streamline the police force, they nevertheless urge you to streamline the organizational structure of the PNP, Mr. Chair?
Secretary Jonvic Remulla (Remulla): Thank you very much, ma'am. That statement was meant to start the conversation between the PNP and the SILG. I came from totally new grounds, and I wanted to see how the reactions would be. Upon study, we do not have 135 men, we have 153 generals, and a lot of them are redundant. And I think we've had consultations, we've been talking to them, and I think we can streamline this down to maybe less than 100 as of current.
You can see, sir, ma'am, the discrepancies. Like the NCRPO is a one-star general. His deputy is a one-star general. So why do you have two generals of the same rank occupying one position higher than the other? There are many instances where, like the AP's area police command, there are I think nine of them now with only three personnel behind them. I think they will slowly going to retire them and streamline the process.
The problem, ma'am, is that the promotion of the PNP is not based on the rules of the military, which they were based upon. Upon examination, the military is promoted every five years, but the PNP follows their promotion on civil service rules, which is they're eligible every three years.
So it then becomes very bloated and it becomes a right rather than a privilege to become a general. So I propose that it be based on merit and it be based on need and it be based on function.
SRH: Salamat, Mr. Chair, Good Secretary. I think this is a very important conversation that the good secretary has started with the PNP leadership, even in the spirit of the PNP reform and modernization law that ushered in the PNP after the PC with a lot of high hopes, if i recall in the early 1990s.
Would the good secretary know kung anong parameters ang sinusunod ng PNP para idetermine aling units ang dapat icommand ng isang one-star o isang two-star o a three-star PNP official Mr. Chair?
Remulla: As of now, ma'am, there's no clear delineation on when they get promoted immediately to what command they will be put under. I think Senator Bato can confirm that a lot of them are promoted and then they find a command for them. What we plan to do is with the 225,000 police force, a general should have a command directly under him at all times.
I think Senator Bato can confirm that sometimes there are floating generals na sayang, sayang ang capacity nila. So with the proper conversation and proper deliberation together in conjunction with the PNP and of course the national government, we should be able to make the responsibilities of generals clearer and delineate their areas of command much better.
SRH: And I suppose, Mr. Chair, good Secretary, lahat ng Filipino na naalala ang pangako ng batas na nagpanganak sa PNP na makapagtatag tayo ng isang police force na national in scope and civilian in character ay maglulook forward din po paano mawawork out ng DILG at ng PNP yung isang pambansang kapulisan na totoong meritocracy. And as the good secretary mentioned, I'm glad Mr. Chair, nandito rin yung mistah ko, the former Chief PNP himself, to comment on this important issue.
Lastly, Mr. Chair, ano po yung magiging panukala ninyo, Secretary, para imanage yung 225,000 PNP personnel with the right number of generals? Dahil kung ikumpara po natin ang AFP, if I'm correct, na may 160,000 personnel na pinamumunuan po ng 120 generals, Mr. Chair.
Remulla: The difficult part about the PNP which we have to address is that the military, from which the PNP was devolved from- the PC sir came from the military, sir if I am correct - the difficult part is that the lines and delineations of the functions of a general in the armed forces is very clear.
In terms of the PNP, there is a lot of improvement to be done and a lot of identification to be done on what exactly their roles should be, as they are promoted. And that will be addressed, ma'am, in the coming months and years as we go through this.
SRH: Salamat Mr. Chair, And I am glad na nagmake mention of din si Secretary kanina na sa ngayon, yung rules of promotion sa PNP ay mukhang batay sa rules ng CSC.
By coincidence, Mr. Chair, we are also hearing the appointment, we are deliberating upon the appointment of the new CSC head. Pero interesante that the Secretary should comment on that dahil nga civilian in nature talaga yung PNP na itinatatag natin the past three decades. So I think importante i-harmonize ng Secretary yung usapin ng ano ba yung rules given this is a civilian organization also.
So dako naman po ako sa isang tanong ko sa POGOs and scam hubs. Previously Isang tanong ko sa pogos and scam hubs. Previously, the DILG directed LGUs to use their visitorial powers, to crack the whip on illegal pogos and scam farms.
One problem is that following the approaching deadline on their operations, these businesses have started moving from large centralized offices to more spread out decentralized locations. So, paano po sisiguruhin ng DILG na lahat ng mga establishments na ito, lalo na yung scam hubs, ay talagang ma-shutdown sa katapusan ng taon, Mr. Chair?
Remulla: Ma'am, the biggest disguise that they are going through now is that they are applying for resorts and restaurants, though it is the power of the mayor to visit these establishments and make sure that what is going on is exactly what is intended.
I think the last case in Lapu-lapu showed it very clear that when the PAOCC raided the premises the restaurant and the hotel and the bar were just the front, and then it was a guerrilla operation if i believe, it transferred from the one in Porac and then hid there in Lapu Lapu.
So it is really up to a lot to the mayors to when they issue business permits, occupancy permits they have to inspect the premises and to make sure that what is intended for is happening.
SRH: Salamat Mr. Chair. Naalala ko nga pagkatapo ianunsyo nung SONA yung winding down, yung deadline sa mga POGOS, yung pagkaroon ng just transition sa mga nagtatrabaho doon. Was it the PAOC or basta isa po sa mga ahensya, in fact, nag-provide ng listahan sa mga LGUs, sa mga local chief executives kung saan saan mga jurisdictions nila mayroong nalalaman na POGOs. And lastly, sa paksang ito, Mr. Chair paano naman po yung mga scam hubs na hindi nagbobother na kumuha ng business permits?
Remulla: That's a function of intelligence and that's a function of the special units of the Philippine National Police and the NBI to pursue and to investigate and to prosecute, ma'am.
SRH: Salamat Mr. Chair, so strategically located talaga itong mga institution kaugnay ng Secretary ng department. Dako na po ako sa isang tanong din sa kahandaan ng ating mga lokal na pamahalaan sa pagtugon sa mga bagyo at sakuna na nabanggit na rin ng secretary.
Paano po makakatulong ang DILG sa ating mga lokal na pamahalaan nang sa gayon ay mas magiging mabilis silang makatugon sa mga bagyo at iba pang sakuna na alam na po natin na matagal naring problema ng mga kababayan nating nakatira sa mga danger zones. Mayroon bang panukala ang DILG para tulungan na maging mas maliksi pa, Mr. Chair?
Remulla: Yes, ma'am. Basing from since I've been Secretary, we call it the ALMNOP. In a matter of 23 days, there were six typhoons which hit the country consecutively. The biggest lessons were the one from Khristine, and I think Camsur, was the biggest. Camsur and Batangas were the biggest victims of that.
Having learned from that, my constant meetings, situation updates with the OCD, we coordinated closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to identify the geohazard sites. So in the succeeding typhoons, if you would see the numbers, in the LMNOP, despite the same amount of winds and the same path that it followed, the evacuation procedures were much better. We gave daily briefers to the LGUs through the OCD. I would like to commend the province of Catanduanes and Cagayan and Aurora, which were hit, and Camsur, which were hit directly in the last typhoon.
We gave a directive very early. We gave a directive Friday for a preemptive evacuation. And the local government responded very well. And they evacuated, especially in the town, in the province of Catanduanes, which was hit by five-meter storm surges which entered the province, we had zero casualties. Camsur had zero casualties, Aurora had zero casualties, Quezon had zero casualties. And that is all a result of pre-emptive measures which we took.
The only problem was in the province of Nueva Ecija, I think, where a family was swept away by the river despite repeated requests and repeated warnings that they were in a danger zone. They insisted on staying. That's why there was a casualty. But otherwise, all the provinces performed splendidly well. There were minimal casualties in the succeeding five typhoons.
SRH: Maraming salamat para doon, Secretary. Magandang marinig na ngayon pa lang ay maraming nang pagsisikap na magbuo ng best practices o i-uphold ang existing models na na ma-capacitate ang LGUs gawin ito para i-reduce ang casualties, i-reduce ang damage sa kanilang mga local economies at infrastructure din. Dako naman ako sa "bridging the digital divide."
The World Bank noted the widening digital divide between the haves and have-nots in the Philippines, which risks increasing inequality. One problem is the uneven regulatory environment at the local level. So, ano pong measures ang isasagawa ninyo para i-facilitate yung construction at deployment ng telecommunications infrastructure tulad ng telco towers sa mga LGUs mr chair?
Remulla: That's always been an age-old problem, ma'am. I suggest that we pass a directive that telco towers just need a clearance from the mayor so that they can situate the towers in a more efficient manner.
The current status ma'am is that it goes through so many layers from up to barangay kagawad i think have to approve it and it leads to a lot of inefficiencies and delays and information implementation of the rollout process. I also suggest that the local government and the national government work hand in hand in expanding. With today's technology we no longer have to use fixed lines to distribute information technology.
There are satellites that are ready and can be available at a very cheap price, which can be distributed in all boundaries, in all schools. And I think that can be a more effective way in bridging the gap in the digital divide. I'm very well aware that with the access to internet, there is a corresponding amount of increase of per capita GDP. And that is where the deficiency of our country comes in. For the first time in the history of mankind, a person who is not literate or not functional on the internet is called illiterate. So that is something that we have to do in conjunction with local government and national government to be more aggressive in bridging that digital divide.
SRH: Salamat, Mr. Chair, Good Secretary, dun sa pagpoint out na kailangan sabay nating ifaciliate kahit dun sa usapin ng bridging the digital divide, i-facilitate yung economic upliftment at saka yung patuloy na pag-develop ng human capital, na hindi tayo nakafocus sa iisa lamang pero sabayan in fact mag-rereinforce sila sa isa't isa huling tanong ko sa paksang ito, specifically paano po i-a-address ng DILG yung mga concerns ng telco companies tungkol din sa mga inconsistent local regulations at fees para sa tower installations na iniimpose ng iba't-ibang LGUs, Mr. Chair?
Remulla: That is one of the unfortunate byproducts of the devolution of powers. So if there is a, I think, and I think the former governors here, should agree that the governor should lay out a plan on where it should be put, what populations should be served, how it can be put, and they should be the ones in charge of issuing the permits. If we do it now on a seven-stage permit level, then the process becomes more inefficient.
Case in point, ma'am, Vietnam has, I think, over 30,000 telco towers, and the Philippines has only 11,000, despite having the same size, almost the same number of people, and almost the same number of landmass.
SRH: Salamat, Secretary. So interesante noh na kailangan balansehin at parehong i-enhance yung local autonomy, yung devolution, yung empowerment ng lahat ng lebel ng local government at the same time yung efficiency or even more than efficiency, yung coordination at synchronicity ng lahat ng levels na ito. Huling paksa ko po LGU governance challenges.
In a policy forum participated in by over 240 Congress representatives and staff conducted by the DOST, National Research Council of the Philippines, one of the eight policy researches presented was a review of the state of local governance in the Philippines after three decades, 1991 to 2021, issues and directions for legislative reform. So, sa mga policy gaps na na-identify, kasama po yung the use of antiquated statistics or data to support various government programs, the lack of an updated and centralized mechanism to inform LGUs of changes to laws, and the lack of standardized monitoring and evaluation for government programs. Paano po masasara yung gaps na ito, Mr. Chair?
Remulla: The answer to that, ma'am, is the digitization of all local governments. Unfortunately, today, if you look at the more progressive HUCs in the country, they are very good in the digitization process. However, each and every LCE provides a different system for each and every process that they have. What I suggest is we have a common system so that if you register a property in Carmona, if you pay for real property taxes in Carmona, and if you pay for real property taxes in Davao, the same system should be used and the same system should be in place. Right now, it is a confusing endeavor for you to pay for real property taxes if you go if you have properties in several areas of the country.
SRH: I suppose the communication would flow both ways, Mr. Chair, information to the executives and then back and forth with their constituents. At siguro ito rin ang magiging input sa monitoring and evaluation sa programs. Salamat, Mr. Chair. So, huling na tanong ko nalang po sa conversation ko sa Secretary. At siguro ito yung pinakamasaya ako na marinig ng ating mga kababayan sa livestream na ito ng hearing ninyo.
Another observation diyan po sa conference na iyon ay to update the Local Government Code, kumbaga yung bibliya ng inyong departamento. Ito po ang para sa akin pinaka-importantenteng tanong na marinig yung thoughts ninyo, anong mga reporma or mga improvements ang ating pwedeng gawin sa ating local government framework, Mr. Chair?
Remulla: The most obvious, ma'am, is we have to examine how the ERA is computed. I think everyone here who has served in local government sees a great question mark every time an ERA is passed down to a province. Number two, ma'am, I think the governors should be given a greater role in managing the affairs of the province, especially in terms of waste management.
If you look at the local government code, it is the responsibility of a mayor for waste management. However, you have municipalities who are fourth and fifth class who have to collect and dispose of their waste by themselves. You have municipalities, I'm sure, in Camsur, which are very poor, which cannot do it themselves. In Cavite, what we have done is that I personally took charge of developing a centralized landfill. It will be up and running by the first week of July.
And I took cognizance of the matter, despite it not being in my purview as governor, so that all local government units in my province would be coordinated. Ma'am, waste disposal is a scaled business. If a local government unit does not have the scale, then it cannot implement the same program as the other more affluent LCEs.
SRH: Thank you, Mr. Chair. And of course, usapin din ng subsidiarity na inooversee ng Secretary o ng pinakamatataas na LCEs sa bawat jurisdiction and with a mind also to the environmental requirements. Yung pinaka sustainable, halimbawa sa solid waste management solutions, pati solutions sa ibang mga issue na inaalagaan ng mga local chief executives. So, daghang salamat, Mr. Chair. Marami salamat po sa inyo, Secretary, advanced, congratulations, and I wish you the best in the next year.
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