Manila cops suspend Safer Cities ops amid 'anti-poor' concerns

The Manila Police District (MPD) suspended its implementation of local ordinances under the Safer Cities Initiative in light of concerns that their provisions may have an “anti-poor” impact.

In a statement on Sunday, MPD spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines said one particular provision being reported involves penalizing individuals for not wearing shirts in public places.

“In this regard, effective immediately, all operating units and personnel involved in Oplan Galugad and other anti-criminality operations shall refrain from taking punitive actions,” Ines said.

Instead, MPD personnel were directed to issue appropriate warnings and information dissemination, emphasizing proper decorum and community standards.

“This measure aims to uphold public trust and ensure humane and compassionate policing across all areas,” Ines said.

In a separate statement, the Philippine National Police logged 61,549 cases under the Safer Cities Initiative from April 6 to 11.

Drinking and smoking in public places ranked as the top violations with 18,904 cases, followed by roaming shirtless (5,894), curfew violations by minors (5,232), and karaoke beyond allowed hours (1,276), while other ordinance violations totaled 30,243 cases.

PNP said 39,205 individuals were warned or released, 21,317 were fined, and 1,027 cases were filed in court.

Of the 8,256 violators recorded in Metro Manila on April 11, PNP reported the following figures:

• Northern Police District (NPD): 2,155
• Southern Police District (SPD): 2,041
• Quezon City Police District (QCPD): 1,602
• Manila Police District (MPD): 1,269
• Eastern Police District (EPD): 1,189

On the same day, the top cases were drinking and smoking in public places (2,290), roaming without shirts (526), minors violating curfew hours (586), and karaoke beyond allowed hours (70).

A total of 3,800 individuals were fined, 145 were charged, and 4,311 were warned or released.

“Ang gusto natin, habang tumatagal, mas bumababa ang bilang dahil mas sumusunod na ang mga tao,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

(As time goes on, we want the number to decrease because more people are complying.) —RF, GMA News