‘Tambay’ crackdown reaches Cavite, 164 nabbed

SAN PEDRO CITY – The Cavite police arrested 164 people for various violations as law enforcers carried out President Duterte’s directive involving street ‘tambay’ (stand by) in the provinces.

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, 20 persons were picked up by the police for violation of the curfew imposed by the local government; 76 for drinking alcohol in public; 39 for loitering; three for illegal gambling; and 26 for going out “half naked,” a report from the provincial police office said.

Most of those arrested were men.

The “tambay round up” was in accordance with the president’s most recent crime deterrent measure, Cavite police director Senior Supt. William Segun said in a phone interview.

“We’ve been doing this in the past already through (various police programs) but it was only last night that we started a ‘count,’” he said.

Those arrested were from the towns of Rosario and General Mariano Alvarez and the cities of Tagaytay, General Trias, Bacoor, and Trece Martires City, Sagun said.

Critics of the government, however, viewed the measure as reminiscent of Martial Law under former president Ferdinand Marcos.