BARMM exec lauds performance of peace and order councils

COTABATO CITY — Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Ministry of Local Government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MLG-BARMM) lauded on Wednesday the efforts of provincial peace and order councils in the region for their support in the campaign to fight criminality, illegal drugs, and other unlawful activities.

“We are also calling on everyone to help, in whatever way, to ensure a peaceful and secured community for the development of the region,” Sinarimbo said in a statement.

The official issued the statement during Wednesday’s conduct of the 2018 Peace and Order (POC) performance audit at Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the provisional seat of the BARMM in this city.

The audit was conducted by the five-man Regional Audit Team (RAT) chaired by Sinarimbo with Maj. John Paolo Carracedo of Police Regional Office-BARMM; Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-BARMM Assistant Regional Director Marlon Santos; PDEA-9 and Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi agent Marvin Santos; Civil Service Organization representative Oting Agting; and Butch Malang, head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ceasefire panel, as members.

The audit was aimed at assessing the performance of the local POCs, their functionality, and compliance with existing laws and policies.

Sinarimbo said the audit also sought to determine the best practices conducted and initiated by the POCs and POC Secretariats and their possible interventions and improvement strategies, as well as create a platform for evaluation, assessment, and sharing of best practices between and among POCs and Secretariats.

Sinarimbo explained that there were five pillars of audit criteria that included: Organization, Meetings, Policies/Plan/Budget, Reports, and Innovations.

Lininding Lao, MLG-BARMM assistant secretary, said the creation of the audit teams was in line with the directive of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) national office to ensure efficient performance of the local councils and the programs and activities being undertaken.

The POC performance audit is now in its second year of implementation.

“Last year’s performance audit was strictly for profiling only, however for this year, a mechanism for sanctions and awards will form part of the audit,” Sinarimbo said.

Sinarimbo assured the public that all activities of MLG-BARMM will be transparent and open for public scrutiny.