Stop conditioning minds of public vs ‘tambay’ crackdown, Albayalde tells critics

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday said critics should stop conditioning the minds of the public by saying that human rights are being violated under the stricter crackdown against “tambay” or “night idlers.”

The controversial drive against night idlers caused a public uproar with many critics saying the directive violates the people’s basic rights.

However, Albayalde said not a single individual has filed a complaint before the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office that their rights have been violated in President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-tambay crackdown.

“Let’s stop telling the people, let’s stop conditioning the minds of the people that these are all violations of human rights because not a single person as of this time wala pa pong nag-complain that their right was violated,” Albayalde said in a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Since Duterte ordered the crackdown,  the five districts of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) have arrested as much as 7,291 “tambays” from June 13 to June 20, data from regional director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar showed. This is an average of 1,042 arrests per day.

Albayalde said there was nothing new in the crackdown and insisted that policemen would only arrest those who violate any local ordinances, such as drinking, smoking or urinating in public places; illegal peddling; littering; breaching peace and order; and concealing deadly weapons.

He said that simply loitering in the streets at night is not an offense as vagrancy has already been decriminalized in 2012.

However, contrary to Albayalde’s claims, some police stations allegedly arrest people merely being “tambay.”

Albayalde said maybe it was because the cities were implementing an anti-tambay ordinance.

He also did not say if the cities need to repeal the regulation before they stop arresting idlers.

According to a report from the Southern Police District, 46 “tambays” were arrested in the area from 5 a.m. of June 19 to 5 a.m. of June 20.

Twenty-two of these were collared in Parañaque, 13 in Muntinlupa, and 11 in Taguig.   /vvp