Ban on public drinking not applicable in camps

Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Thursday that the policy prohibiting uniformed personnel from drinking in public would most likely not apply inside police and military camps.

At a press briefing in Camp Crame, Albayalde said, “Inside camps, it’s [drinking] controlled. It is a controlled social activity in camps which are highly secure. We know how to control that.”

During a speech in Pasay City on Tuesday, President Duterte ordered uniformed personnel, particularly policemen, to stop drinking in public places as these often led to trouble.

He cited incidents where drunken policemen and soldiers ended up getting involved in brawls or even shootouts. He claimed that he recently beat up a policeman and a soldier who both wound up in the hospital after they shot at each other while under the influence of liquor.

Old policy

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Benjamin Madrigal Jr., who received his fourth star in rites at the Department of National Defense on Thursday, said that the policy banning uniformed personnel from drinking in public places had long been in place even before Mr. Duterte’s directive.

“This has long been a policy and we will strictly enforce it to ensure that the President’s order is followed,” he added.

Albayalde said that as government employees, uniformed personnel were prohibited from drinking in bars and other “houses of ill repute” under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“Just the same, we issued reminders to our policemen to avoid drinking in public … especially if you are in uniform,” he said.