Gatchalian urges police: Go after 'pasaway' instead of 'tambay'

Instead of going after "tambay" or loiterers in the streets, the police force should apprehend individuals who are caught breaking the law, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Sunday.

At the Balitaan sa Maynila forum, Gatchalian stressed that the operation was really "confusing."

"Itong anti-tambay operations ng mga pulis ay nakakalito talaga because 'yung pagiistambay ay 'di naman po labag sa batas po ito. I would really like to encourage the PNP [Philippine National Police] na imbes anti-tambay, eh gawin nilang anti-pasaway," Gatchalian said.

"Dahil ang masama po 'yung ginagawa ng mga taong nakaistambay. For example 'yung pag-iinom po sa labas ng kalye, 'yung pagsusugal po sa labas ng kalye, ito po 'yung mga bawal eh," Gatchalian added.

"'Yung actions ng mga tambay ang masama kaya nga dapat pong gawin na lang ng PNP na anti-pasaway. 'Yung mga pasaway ang kanilang dapat hulihin at pagmultahin," he said.

Gatchalian said this should also serve as a challenge for newly-elected barangay officials to strengthen their local ordinances in order to attain peace and order in their community.

"Ngayon we just elected our barangay officials. Karamihan po nitong bawal uminom sa labas, bawal magsugal, ito po ay barangay ordinances, local ordinances. In fact ang mga barangay tanod pwede na po manghuli," Gatchalian said.

"Hamon ito sa barangay officials dahil bagong halal ho sila, ipatupad 'yung kanilang mandato. Nasa kapangyarihan ho nila na gumawa ng ordinansa para sa kaayusan ng barangay," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a crackdown against idlers in the streets in order to prevent crime in the society.

More than 7,000 idlers in Metro Manila streets have been apprehended by authorities in their week-long operations. Police stated that those apprehended had violated municipal ordinances.

Negative reactions to the operation arose after the death of one Genesis Argoncillo.

Argoncillo, who died while in police custody, was nabbed for allegedly causing "alarm and scandal," but witnesses have said he was apprehended for supposedly being "shirtless." —KG, GMA News