Close to 1,200,000 individuals have been arrested since the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) intensified the implementation of various ordinances in Metro Manila last year.
Based on data given to the media by NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, a total of 1,191,090 violators were apprehended from June 13, 2018 to July 5 this year.
“This is a proof that what we launched last year is not what is locally-termed as ‘ningas-kugon’. We will continue to help the local government units of Metro Manila to implement their ordinances because we all have the same goal which is to make the streets of Metro Manila safe,” Eleazar said.
Smoking ban violators topped the arrest list, with a total of 277,048that accounted for 23.26 percent of all the arrests.
Minors violating curfew hours had the next biggest number, although with a much lower figure of 74,547, or 6.26 percent of all those arrested all over Metro Manila during the said period.
Eleazar said the minors were turned over to the parents, who received a tongue-lashing from the police and barangay officials for their failure to discipline their children.
The NCRPO has also apprehended 63,844 individuals, or 5.36 percent of the total arrests, for going to public places “half-naked”.
Those drinking in public places came next, with 54,223 rounded up, accounting for 4.55 percent of the total number of violators.
The rest — 721,428 people, or 60.57 percent of the total arrests, were violators of other city and municipal ordinances in the NCR.
The Metro Manila top cop said his instruction to police commanders is to continue being relentless in implementing ordinances in Metro Manila especially against smoking, drinking in public places and against male bystanders who would go topless while hanging out of their homes.
In order to ensure compliance, Eleazar said he has been requiring the five police districts in Metro Manila to submit a daily accomplishment report.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) still had the biggest number of arrests — 644,335 violators — 54.10 percent or more than half of all those arrested in Metro Manila.
The Eastern Police District (EPD) placed second with 259,602 persons (21.80 percent) apprehended, followed by Northern Police District (NPD) with 121,141 (10.17 percent), Manila Police District (MPD) with 96,391 (8.09 percent) and Southern Police District (SPD) with 69,621 (5.85 percent).
Eleazar said most of the violators were immediately released after paying a fine or due to humanitarian considerations.
Out of the apprehended individuals, 223,186 violators have been fined while 168,487 have been charged, 799,417 were given a warning and 28 are still under the custody of SPD as of 5 a.m. Saturday, July 7.
The implementation of city and municipal ordinances is part of the NCRPO’s peace and order strategy.
The intention is to get rid of street bullies, who are usually drunk,who prey on passing strangers in their communities and even harass women who would pass by their drinking session area, mostly along the
streets.
Meanwhile, BUHAY party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza on Sunday urged Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to help reform the Philippine National Police by passing laws that would effectively and efficiently solve the country’s drug problem and other crimes.
Interviewed over dzBB’s Super Radyo program, Atienza told Dela Rosa: you have been a police officer your life. Let us focus ourselves and help one another on how we could reform the police since (I believe) the problem comes from within.”
“Criminals are not arrested. (In some instances) If they get arrested, they do sometimes manage to escape or even given the special treatment. That is why crime continues to happen unabatedly,” he said.
He lamented that lawless elements who are rich usually get special treatment inside their detention facilities.
He called on Dela Rosa to institute reforms through legislation despite the senator’s stance to support the return of capital punishment for heinous crimes.
He, however, maintained his objection to death penalty, saying such would stop or deter criminality, including illegal drugs.
“I believe that (death penalty) would not solve the problem of criminality. There is no doubt there have been too many crimes (elsewhere), but killings happens everyday,” he said.
“The culture of death has already engulfed the whole country,” he added.
He said he would support life imprisonment to be more deterrent than capital punishment.