Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde
MANILA -- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Friday reiterated his directive to all police units to intensify the enforcement of laws and local government ordinances to prevent street crimes nationwide.
In a memorandum to all PNP units and offices, he reminded all personnel to intensify and monitor the strict implementation of laws and local ordinances through arrest of violators such as those drinking and smoking in public places, roaming the streets without shirts, using karaoke beyond the allowed time, minors violating curfew hours, among others.
“We heed the call of President Duterte to continue our gains against street crimes and enforcement of laws and local ordinances of our communities. I only remind them that our operational thrust is the active presence and aggressive deployment of our policemen on the streets that must be seen and felt by the community,” he said.
He also said that the PNP will sustain operations and initiatives by means of conduct of Oplan Sita, Oplan Bulabog, Oplan Bakal, and other anti-criminality operations in different parts of the country.
“We also ordered local police units to coordinate closely with local and barangay officials in the enforcement of ordinances ensuring peaceful and safe communities for all,” he added.
“With the active support of President Duterte, the PNP will do everything within the bounds of the law and I assure the public our gains against street crimes is accorded to our Enhanced Managing Police Operations with the highest respect to human rights and dignity of apprehended individuals,” he said.
1.2-M local law violators nabbed
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said more than 1,200,000 individuals have been arrested since the NCRPO intensified the implementation of various ordinances in Metro Manila last year.
Based on NCRPO data, a total of 1,270,617 violators were apprehended from June 13, 2018, to July 26 this year.
“This is proof that what we launched last year is not what is locally-termed as 'ningas-kugon'. We will continue to help the local government units of Metro Manila to implement their ordinances because we all have the same goal which is to make the streets of Metro Manila safe,” Eleazar told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) still had the biggest number of arrests — 673,202 violators — 52.98 percent or more than half of all those arrested in Metro Manila.
The Eastern Police District (EPD) placed second with 283,442 persons (22.31 percent) apprehended, followed by Northern Police District (NPD) with 137,081 (10.79 percent), Manila Police District (MPD) with 101,983 (8.03 percent) and Southern Police District (SPD) with 74,909 (5.90 percent).
Smoking ban violators topped the arrest list, with a total of 293,925 that accounted for 23.13 percent of all the arrests.
Minors violating curfew hours had the next biggest number, although with a much lower figure of 80,995, or 6.37 percent of those arrested all over Metro Manila during the said period.
Authorities apprehended 69,441 individuals, or 5.47 percent of the total arrests, for going to public places "half-naked".
Those drinking in public places came next, with 57,765 rounded up, accounting for 4.55 percent of the total number of violators.
The rest, 768,491 people, or 60.48 percent of the total arrests, were violators of other city and municipal ordinances.
Out of the apprehended individuals, 238,933 violators have been fined while 177,372 have been charged, 854,312 were given a warning and three persons are still under the custody of SPD and one in QCPD as of 5 a.m. Friday, July 26. (PNA)
