Lawmaker proposes Christmas perks for tanods

BICOL Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan filed a bill seeking to grant Christmas bonuses and other incentives to barangay tanod (village watchers). Free legal aid and insurance coverage were also sought under Yamsuan's House Bill 10909. "Members of the barangay tanod brigades serve as public safety officers in our communities. We hardly notice them as they carry out their task of keeping our homes and streets safe, especially at night when most of the community is resting," Yamsuan was quoted as saying in a statement. Yamsuan is a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. "They are, at times, exposed to criminal elements and other dangerous threats to the community, yet the benefits they receive are not commensurate with the risks they face every day," he said. Speaking in Filipino, Yamsuan said that barangay tanod's benefits is "measly." "Our goal is to upgrade their benefits to provide them with sufficient protection against the possible risks they may encounter," he said. Under the bill, the Christmas bonus for each qualified tanod shall, at least, be half the bonus of the punong barangay (village chief). Also proposed in the bill is "free legal services from government lawyers" for criminal or civil cases filed against them resulting from their actions while performing their duties. "The measure also specifies the insurance benefits that barangay tanods should receive, which is equivalent to three-fourths of the amount received by the" village chief, "the statement read. "The insurance coverage includes temporary and total and permanent incapacity or disability; double indemnity; injuries resulting from accident; and death and burial benefits as provided under Republic Act (RA) 6942 or RA 7160 (Local Government Code), whichever is higher," it added.