Ejercito urges PNP to clarify guidelines on ‘anti-tambay’ drive

Amid continued fears of possible human rights violations, Senator JV Ejercito called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday to come up with guidelines before enforcing its “anti-tambay” campaign.

Ejercito noted the arrests of loiterers immediately after President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning against them.

“Siguro dapat i-clarify ng PNP ‘yung guidelines. Dapat meron silang guidelines in the first place. Kasi parang noong nagbigay ng order ang Pangulo, agad-agad nilang inimplement without informing the public about the guidelines; so ano ba ang bawal, ano ba ang hindi? Kung ikaw man ay isang ordinaryong mamayan, ordinaryong Juan dela Cruz, ‘di ko rin alam what is accepted or not,” the senator said at the regular “Kapihan sa Senado” on Thursday.

(Maybe the PNP should clarify the guidelines. They should have guidelines in the first place. Because when the President gave the order, they immediately implemented it without informing the public about the guidelines; so, what is prohibited and what is not? If you are an ordinary citizen, an ordinary Juan dela Cruz, you don’t now also what is accepted or not)

“I would suggest with the PNP—clarify, come up with guidelines before the enforcement. Kumbaga pagkasabi ni Pangulo, agad silang nag implement (After the President’s order, they immediately enforced it) without even informing the public of the guidelines,” Ejercito added.

Senator Grace Poe earlier made a similar call to the police enforcers.

“We recognize the objectives of the ‘anti-tambay operations,’ however, implementing it requires clear guidelines and safeguards against violation of human rights,” Poe said in a statement Wednesday.

The PNP, she said, should “orient its enforcers on the ground on how to handle the so-called loiterers, mindful of their rights and exercising the highest degree of restraint that authorities should observe.”

“We want this to succeed so that our streets would be ridden of criminals and unscrupulous elements without instilling fear and misery among the public,” Poe added. /je

READ: Poe okay with anti-tambay ops if PNP trains cops