Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan (Rep. Yamsuan’s Facebook)

Barangay watchmen or "tanods" deserve a Christmas bonus too, according to Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. 

That's why Yamsuan penned and filed House Bill (HB) No.10909, which aims to provide barangay tanods with this benefit, along with free legal assistance and insurance coverage. 

The proposed grant of Christmas bonus to the country’s barangay tanods is a way to recognize the invaluable service they provide in maiintaining peace and order in local communities. 

The measure also seeks to prioritize the inclusion of barangay tanods in livelihood programs initiated by either the national government or the local government units (LGUs). 

“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 said. 

"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,” said the solon, a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). 

“Maraming barangay tanod ay nalalagay sa panganib ang  buhay  at minsan pa nga  ay  napapatay dahil sa pagtupad ng kanilang mga tungkulin. Sa kabila nito, tila ba napabayaan na ang kanilang kapakanan sa ilalim ng ating mga kasalukuyang batas kung saan kakarampot  ang kanilang mga benepisyo. Layunin nating mai-upgrade ang kanilang benefits  para naman may sapat silang proteksyon laban sa mga posibleng panganib na maari nilang makaharap,” he added. 

(Many barangay tanods risk their lives  and sometimes even get  killed while performing their duties. Despite this,  their welfare seems to have been neglected under our current laws, which provide them with measly benefits. Our goal is to upgrade their benefits to provide them with sufficient protection against the possible risks they may encounter.) 

Under HB No.10909, each qualified tanod shall be entitled to a Christmas bonus equivalent to at least half of what the punong barangay is receiving, as mandated by law or ordinance. 

In championing their welfare, Yamsuan has also proposed under the bill to provide barangay tanods with free legal services from government lawyers for criminal or civil cases filed against them arising from acts committed in the performance of their duties. 

The measure also specifies the insurance benefits that barangay tanods should receive, which is equivalent to three-fourths of that received by the punong barangay. 

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. 

Yamsuan says the bill also prioritizes barangay tanods in the availment of barangay livelihood and development projects. 

To qualify for these additional benefits, the bill states that the tanod should have rendered continuous service for at least one year in the same barangay.  

HB No.10909 also protects the tenure of barangay tanods. The bill states that once appointed, the village watchmen shall not be removed or their services terminated except for causes enumerated in the barangay resolution creating the barangay tanod brigade. 

Under the measure, the decision to remove a barangay tanod for cause shall rest upon the decision of the sangguniang barangay.