ILOILO City – Local government units (LGUs) must have ordinances imposing curfew on minors and punishing nudity, according to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
“I have talked to some mayors of LGUs that do not have these ordinances,” said Bulalacao during a visit to Bacolod City on Thursday.
The police would gladly enforce these ordinances, he said.
PRO-6 received a directive from the Philippine National Police headquarters regarding the implementation of city ordinances.
“The things being implemented in Metro Manila will also be implemented in our region, just so we can keep the community safe from undesirable individuals,” said Bulalacao.
He, however, wanted to avoid the use of the word tambay (loiterer). A tambay not doing anything wrong should not be arrested, he stressed.
“But if you are loitering, threatening people who are just walking, and making women uncomfortable, you will be accosted by the police. You will be told to go away and go home,” he said. “We will not arrest them. We will just warn them.”
As for decency, Bulalacao said a person should not walk half-naked in public.
“But if there is no city ordinance against it, the police cannot apprehend them,” he said.
Bulalacao also stressed his office has yet to receive reports on the abuses of policemen, almost 15 days after he issued the directive on the implementation of city ordinances.
“My instruction to them was very simple. Let us implement those being implemented in Camp Crame, but we should read between the lines. Avoid doing things that would violate human rights,” he pointed out.
Iloilo City has a curfew ordinance for minors and an ordinance against smoking in public places and conveyances. (PNA)
