ILOILO City – “I just don’t want you using the streets to loiter.”
President Rodrigo Duterte defended his order to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go after tambays (loiterers) during a visit to Cabatuan, Iloilo yesterday where he distributed Certificates of Land Ownership Award to over two thousand land reform beneficiaries in Western Visayas.
It is a crime prevention measure, according to the President, and cited a similar policy he imposed in Davao City when he was the mayor there.
“Kita mo ‘yung Davao? Nakapunta naman kayo ng Davao, walang hold-up, walang lahat,” said Duterte.
The police operation discouraging tambays does not necessarily have to result to arrests, the President clarified.
“’Yung utos ko sa pulis na ang mga tambay… sundin lang ninyo ang utos ko…wala namang ina-aresto. I just don’t want you using the streets to loiter,” he said.
The President recalled the time he, as mayor, would drive around Davao City at night to discourage tambays.
This form of disciplining people, he said, paid off with Davao becoming a peaceful city.
Peace, he said, resulted to progress in Davao.
“Kung masunod lang ‘yung sa Davao, okay na, komportable na tayo. I mean, that’s the kind of life I want every Filipino to have. They can walk around (freely), park on rural roads (safely),” said Duterte.
He assured Filipinos there won’t be abuses even while he introduces reforms.
“Hindi ako a-abuso basta susunod lang, tutal ang hinihingi ko para sa bayan natin, for the Republic of the Philippines,” said the President.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday allayed fears of that the crackdown against tambays (loiterers) could lead to human rights abuses.
“Ang mga ina-accost naman diyan ay iyong mga lumalabag ng mga ordinansa at saka iyong mga alam ng mga pulis na posibleng mayroong mga nilalabag na mga batas – iyong mga umiinom sa kalye, iyong mga nagsusugal sa kalye, iyong mga ganoon,” Roque said.
He also said there were legal remedies available for those arrested without basis such as the writ of amparo which can be filed when “any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity.”
Roque described this new anti-crime strategy as part of police efforts to ensure that the public feel safer through “police visibility.”
“Those people who are not doing anything wrong in the community should not worry,” he stressed. (PNA)
