Only 3 out of more than 28,000 tambay remain under police custody — NCRPO

Only three out of the more than 28,000 violators of local ordinances are still under police custody, nearly three weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered authorities to step up their campaign against loiterers or so-called "tambay."

According to the data provided by National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, a total of 28,087 were apprehended or arrested in NCR from 5 a.m. of June 13 to 5 a.m. of July 3.

More than 50 percent of the total number of local ordinances violators or 14,801 individuals (52.34 percent) were "warned" while 9,118 violators (32.46 percent) were "fined" and 4,268 violators (15.20 percent) were charged.

Out of the remaining three violators who are still in detention, two of them are under the custody of the Manila Police District (MPD) while one is under the Northern Police District (NPD) as of 5 a.m. of Tuesday, July 3.

The Eastern Police District (EPD), Southern Police District (SPD), and Quezon City Police District (QPCD) have no remaining violators of local ordinances under their custody.

Smoking ban remains the top ordinance that have been violated as a total of 8,308 violators (29.58 percent) were apprehended.

A total of 4,943 minors (17.60 percent) were also apprehended for violating curfew hours while 4,150 (14.78 percent) were apprehended for being half-naked, 4,139 (14.74 percent) for drinking in public places and 6,547 violators (23.31 percent) for "other ordinances" that were not specified by the NCRPO.

Nearly half of the total number of local ordinances violators or 42.50 percent came from the EPD with 11,937 violators apprehended. The SPD followed with 6,047 (21.53 percent), QCPD with 4,324 (15.40 percent), MPD with 2,950 (10.50 percent), and NPD with 2,829 (10.07 percent).

The Philippine National Police has stopped using the term tambay in their reports as authorities maintained that mere loiterers were not arrested or apprehended but only those who violated local ordinances.

The crackdown against local ordinances violators has been heavily criticized following the death of Genesis "Tisoy" Argoncillo while in police custody.

On June 25, Duterte told police not to mind criticisms and continue apprehending idlers in the streets, minors included. He also directed authorities to frisk loiterers, adding that it was within his power to order such "to protect the general welfare of the people." — RSJ, GMA News