Drive vs ‘tambays’ nets 1.1-M violators

A total of 1,120,233 persons have either been arrested, fined or warned in Metro Manila since an intensified enforcement of local ordinances was ordered by President Duterte a year ago, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported Friday.

Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO director, said there would be no let-up in their campaign against ordinance violators even after critics continue to question the legality of the supposed crackdown on “tambays.”

“This campaign is meant to enforce city and municipal ordinances that ban drinking in public places; smoking in public; gambling in public and being half-naked; minors outside their homes [during] curfew hours and others,” Eleazar insisted.

Duterte first ordered the crackdown against ordinance violators on Jan. 13, 2018 after he declared that “tambays” were often the cause of trouble on streets.

From June 13, 2018 to 5 a.m. Friday, Eleazar said 260,442 smokers (23.25 percent) were caught by the police, topping the list of violators.

It was followed by 69,321 minors (6.19 percent) who violated the curfew; 59,797 men (5.34 percent) who were caught half-naked; and 51,450 individuals (4.59 percent) who were caught while drinking in public places.

Meanwhile, 679,213 (60.63 percent) others were caught violating other local ordinances such as urinating and spitting in public places, possession of deadly and bladed weapons, use of karaoke on the wee hours of the night, ban on barkers, and traffic-related regulations.