Opposition Senator Bam Aquino wants the Senate to look into the Philippine National Police鈥檚 (PNP) campaign against loiterers.
Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 772 on Monday, directing the committee on public order and dangerous drugs being chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson to conduct the probe 鈥渨ith the end of view of protecting from unjust, discriminatory and abusive policies and practices.鈥�
鈥淭here is a need to assess whether the PNP鈥檚 anti-tambay campaign, as well as the local ordinances on which they are supposedly based, are consistent with national laws and the Constitution,鈥� Aquino said in the resolution.
The senator noted that since President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 order against loiterers, the PNP has initiated its 鈥渁nti-tambay鈥� campaign supposedly to address the problem of criminality in the country.
As of June 21, 2018, the senator cited the National Capital Region Police Office鈥檚 report that 7, 291 loiterers have been arrested in the metropolis for alleged violations of various local ordinances.
However, Aquino pointed out, 鈥淭here is no law against vagrancy or loitering in public.鈥�
He said the Anti-Vagrancy Law was repealed in 2012 with the passage of Republic Act No. 10158 or the Act decriminalizing Vagrancy.
While PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde claimed that those who were arrested had violated various ordinances, the senator cited several reports of individuals being arrested and detained while outside their house or waiting outside a friend鈥檚 house.
Aquino also mentioned in the resolution the case of Genesis 鈥淭isoy鈥� Argoncillo, who was reportedly nabbed and detained last June 15 for alarm and scandal. Four days after, he died under the custody of police.
鈥淢araming mga detalye na hindi tumutugma, pero ang malinaw sa akin, hindi dapat namatay si Tisoy,鈥� the senator said in a statement.
鈥淗indi sya mamamatay kung hindi pinatupad ang isang polisiya na nakatarget ang mahihirap,鈥� he added.
搁贰础顿:听鈥楾isoy鈥� killed by 2 cell mates, QC cops say; kin blame police
Duterte, however, later denied ordering the arrests of loiterers.
鈥淭hose sons of bitches were not listening,鈥� he said, referring to his critics, in a speech last Friday.
鈥淚 never said, 鈥榓rrested.鈥� But if you are drinking in the alley, in the squatters area and making a living room out of the road there, you鈥檒l really get nabbed,鈥� the president said.
鈥淪o that these deranged constitutionalists would know that loitering is not a crime 鈥� of course it is not,鈥� he added.聽 聽/vvp
搁贰础顿:听Duterte: I did not order 鈥榯ambay鈥� arrests