LAGAWE, Ifugao — Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and Ifugao Governor Pedro Mayam-o are both giving President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-tambay (loitering) directive nationwide a thumbs-up, saying this is for the protection of the youth.
Marcos was the special guest during the “Gotad ad Ifugao” in Wednesday’s celebration of Ifugao’s 52nd foundation day. She said that while vagrancy and loitering have been decriminalized, there are local ordinances that could be used as the basis for the President’s directive.
She added that with the government’s anti-crime and illegal drugs efforts, it would be best for the youth not to be loitering around, so they won’t fall prey to criminals.
She cited that existing national laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors are actually not being observed.
“Pag bartek na, malaking gulo talaga (Once they get drunk, big trouble really ensues),” Marcos remarked.
She also urged the newly-elected Sangguniang Kabataan or youth council to look into the issues of loitering and vices among the youth.
“They should look into that–alcohol, vagrancy, and curfew,” she added.
Marcos also mentioned that teenage pregnancy could also be curbed by the anti-loitering drive.
“We know that despite the largely religious population, there is a large number of very young teenagers. This is a major health hazard as well as a moral issue,” she remarked.
For his part, Ifugao’s Mayam-o cited municipal ordinances in Ifugao mandating a curfew for minors from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“I think the move is for the protection of our youth and this is beneficial for the youth of the country,” he said.
Mayam-o cited that in Ifugao’s celebration of its Gotad festival this year, the provincial government has banned the bingo game, karaoke in the public plaza, and other forms of gambling, which usually distract the youth.
“In our Gotad, we really intended to focus on our beautiful culture to showcase our indigenous games, our indigenous skills,” he said.
Duterte has issued a directive against loiterers or “tambays”, a move that has gained support from various local government units (LGUs), especially at the barangay level.
According to a text blast by the Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año reported that the LGUs welcomed the President’s pronouncement.
“We have received a feedback from some LGUs, and they welcome this recent directive from the President, which they say is actually a big boost to their efforts to keep the communities crime-free,” the DILG chief said in a statement on Tuesday.
Likewise, Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan expressed his all-out support to the recent order handed down by President Rodrigo R. Duterte for the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest bystanders to help improve the overall peace and order situation in the country.
The local chief executive said that instilling the proper discipline to individuals was done during the martial law years through the arrest of bystanders, thus, the marching order of the President to arrest bystanders in the different parts of the country should serve as a warning to erring individuals to shape up or else they will face the consequences of their illegal activities.
“We fully support the President’s order to the PNP to arrest erring bystanders that is why unscrupulous individuals in the city’s barangays who often create trouble in the neighbourhood should be warned that they could be arrested once they will be found to be involved in illegal activities,” Domogan stressed.
He called on the bystanders in the city’s barangays to start changing their ways and not to await their arrest and the eventual filing of the appropriate charges against them by the law enforcers.
According to him, people should now be empowered to be involved in productive activities in their barangays instead of loitering around doing nothing that could result in their being arrested and charged which will surely affect their standing in the communities where they belong.
Domogan called on law enforcers to implement the arrest of by standards pursuant to the guidelines governing the arrest of bystanders that were recently issued by the PNP leadership.
He said that the local government has existing ordinances that could be strictly implemented by law enforcers to justify the arrest of erring bystanders in the city’s 128 barangays that is why policemen should not be afraid being charged by those they were able to arrest because they are armed with the appropriate local laws that will justify their operations against bystanders.
He claimed that there were already precedents in the past in relation to the implementation of the arrest against erring bystanders that is why the best that people should do now is to comply with the marching orders from the President to prevent them from being arrested and charged that will eventually compromise their good standing in the places where they come from.
He also urged the city’s youth to strictly comply with the curfew for minors being currently implemented by the members of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) in coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office to avoid unnecessary incidents that will compromise their safety and security and even their studies because what is important is for them to attend their classes and go home as soon as they will be dismissed to avoid untoward incidents leading to their violation of the existing curfew for minors.** PNA with reports from Dexter See on Mayor Domogan
