Sema asks PNP, DILG to probe tanods' harassment vs. voters

COTABATO CITY - Former Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema has urged the Cotabato City Police Office and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate members of the armed Barangay Tanod (village watchmen).Speaking over DXMS Radyo Bida, former Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema said some members of Barangay Tanod have harassed some voters who trooped to the city Comelec office to validate their registration records.Sema did not name the tanods but he said they were from Barangay Tamontaka Mother.He appealed to police authorities and DILG to probe the incident because it has threatened the voters.Efforts to reach the city police and DILG for comment proved futile.Barangay Tanods cooperate with the police but they are not members of the PNP, according to the DILG.They do not have the same authority as police officers butaugment the police and fulfill certain functions which the police force cannot immediately discharge especially with respect to the implementation of national and local laws within barangays. They may be either unarmed or armed simply, say with atruncheon or a bolo but they are not officially armed with guns, though some carry guns.