Over 7,000 nabbed in week-long operations vs. ‘tambays’ —NCRPO

Over 7,000 "tambays" or nighttime idlers in the streets were apprehended in week-long operations by Metro Manila police against individuals who allegedly violated city or municipal ordinances.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar said a total of 7,291 were apprehended from 5 a.m. of June 13 to 5 a.m. of June 20 in operations launched after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered authorities to step up campaign against loiterers on streets.

Dousing critics' fear, Malacañang said Duterte's order is a crime prevention measure and not a prelude to martial law.

Duterte's directive to the police drew mixed reactions after he appeared to have suggested throwing into the Pasig River loiterers who resist orders to go home.

Concerns about potential abuse in the course of the campaign came to the fore after policemen briefly detained a group of friends for simply waiting outside another friend's home in Makati City last week.

But on Tuesday, Duterte — a former Davao City mayor known for his heavy handed style of leadership — slammed critics of his intensified campaign against "tambays," telling human rights advocates not to interfere with his policy.

Majority from EPD

According to NCRPO data, the Eastern Police District had the highest number of violators of local ordinances with 2,237 followed by Southern Police District with 2,046, Quezon City Police District with 1,146, Northern Police District with 1,011, and Manila Police District with 851.

The data shared by Eleazar was based on the recap submitted by each of the district. However, the specific violations were not stated.

The number of "tambays" nabbed increased by 1,716 in two days since the last update on Monday that showed a total of 5,575 persons have been arrested.

Individuals were arrested for violating curfew ordinances, for drinking in public places or streets, for being half-naked in the streets, and for smoking in public. Also apprehended were illegal vendors, videoke curfew violators, litterers, illegal barkers as well as those who violated the traffic code.

Other individuals who were arrested include those who violated the the prohibition on students entering internet shops, those who urinated in a public place, and those who disrupted peace and public order.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier assured that those arrested had violated ordinances and were not merely for just loitering.

"Hindi 'yung nakaistambay sa isang sulok o sa isang kalsada, so kung makita pa rin natin, the word is just being used, na-use lang 'yan inadvertently because it was the word used by our President pero basically these are all violations of city ordinances," he said. —KBK, GMA News