De Lima: ‘Anti-tambay’ ops violate children’s rights

Senator Leila De Lima on Sunday once more called for a stop to the "arbitrary arrest of minors" as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against "tambay," or idlers in the street.

In a news release, De Lima stressed that "the government’s arbitrary arrest of minors was an obvious violation of the human rights of children."

"There is no law that says that it is illegal for anyone, much less minors, to go out of their homes and occupy public space. I am in one with the call in condemning this unlawful and discriminatory order,” De Lima said.

De Lima said she supports the call of at least 20 civil society organizations that have issued statements condemning the "widespread arbitrary arrest of children taking place across the country."

The senator said that Duterte cannot be trusted with the rights and well-being of children.

“We need to protect our children from the madman that is Duterte who cannot show even a slightest amount of compassion to his people, including the children,” De Lima said.

The Chief Executive has ordered a crackdown against loiterers in the streets as he viewed them as "source of potential trouble for the public."

Thousands of "tambay" have been apprehended by authorities in their operations, but police claimed that those apprehended had violated municipal ordinances.

The death of Genesis Argoncillo in police custody has heightened criticism of the campaign. Argoncillo was nabbed on June 15 for allegedly causing "alarm and scandal," but witnesses have said he was apprehended for supposedly being "shirtless." 

Argoncillo died four days later inside Novaliches Police Station. According to his death certificate, Argoncillo's immediate cause of death was "multiple blunt force trauma" in his "neck, head, chest and upper extremities." — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News