DAGUPAN CITY– The Dagupan City Police Station (DCPS) will now strictly implement curfew and other local ordinances in the communities, as part of "Oplan RODY" (Rid the Streets of Drunkards and Youths).
In an interview on Thursday with Police Supt. Jandale Sulit, officer-in-charge of DCPS, he revealed that they will implement a compilation of local ordinances, known as Artikulo 21 – which includes prohibition on loitering, drinking, and youths wandering off after 10 p.m. following the orders issued to policemen to double-up barangay presence to intimidate violators.
“We don’t penalize them on first offense. But if they were caught again and again, we would not hesitate to discipline and fine them,” Sulit said.
He added that convenience stores are also being spotted as hubs for loiterers, as some of them allow customers to drink past the curfew time.
With 120 people caught on the first night of implementation, Dagupeños have mixed reactions regarding the implementation of Oplan Rody, which is a directive of President Rodrigo Duterte against loiterers and bystanders.
The individuals who were rounded up were brought to a basketball gymnasium, where they received lecture about the prevailing curfew ordinance in the city and Oplan Rody, then allowed to go home.
“Many are glad, but many are also angry with what we do. But we are just doing our job. We do not want incidents involving our fellow Dagupeños, especially minors, to become victims of crimes because of their loitering. We will prevent them to keep them safe, even if we may look like bad guys to them,” Sulit said.
In Ilocos region, a total of 1,167 persons were apprehended on the night of June 18, the start of Oplan Rody implementation.
Supt. Marlon Paiste, information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO-1), in an interview on Tuesday, said police stations all over the region had conducted a total of 357 operations as of 9 a.m. that day.
He disclosed that Pangasinan has the highest number of arrests with 789 persons from 230 operations, followed by La Union with 207 persons from 52 operations; Ilocos Sur with 149 persons from 32 operations; and Ilocos Norte with 22 persons from 43 operations.
Of the total number, 1,131 have been released to their families or relatives and 36 have been kept safe in places such as basketball courts, said Paiste.
"The 36 who have been kept safe are minors (21), 14 adults who are subject to verification of identify and one adult due to drunkenness," he added.
Senior Supt. Ronald Lee, provincial director of Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, in another interview also on Tuesday, said the operation was aligned with the prevailing local ordinances in the cities or municipalities and not the anti- vagrancy law, which was already decriminalized in 2012.
“Bystanders are mostly prevalent in urban areas like this city (Dagupan City) but not many in the rural areas. In some towns and cities, people are in their homes as early as 7 p.m.,” Lee said.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, police regional director of PRO-1 in a radio interview, advised the bystanders to “go home, help with household chores or do anything worthwhile at home, rather than stay outside”.
President Duterte issued the order against bystanders or loiterers in the streets last June 13. (PNA)
