BACOLOD City – Personnel of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) are exercising caution in apprehending tambays (loiterers).
“We are cautious,” said BCPO head Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo on Friday.
He added that his personnel “cannot arrest anyone na nakatambay lang [at] wala namang ginagawang violation.”
“We want to assure the public that their rights will not be violated,” Ebreo stressed.
The city police head also said that even before President Rodrigo Duterte directed to arrest loiterers, BCPO personnel have already been enforcing related local ordinances, like the curfew for minors and the smoking ban in public places.
“We’re implementing these [ordinances] the right way. We don’t want to be like the policemen who were relieved because they had a wrong interpretation of the directive,” Ebreo said.
People who are binge drinking and not wearing upper garments in Bacolod cannot be arrested since there is no ordinance prohibiting such in the capital city, Ebreo stressed.
On Thursday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde reiterated his instructions for field units not to deviate from standard procedures in enforcing city and municipal ordinances regarding the crackdown on loiterers.
This after the President directed the PNP to rid the streets of tambays to reduce crime and maintain peace and order. (With a report from PNA/PN)
