BACOLOD CITY — Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) Director, Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, urged local government units in the region to pass their own curfew and anti-nudity ordinances.
“I have talked to some of the mayors of those (LGUs) who don’t have ordinances on curfew (for minors) and against nudity. We asked them to have ordinances for these (violations) so that the police would have basis to enforce the laws,” Bulalacao said during a press conference here Thursday afternoon.
He said PRO-6 received a directive from the Philippine National Police headquarters regarding the implementation of city ordinances.
“The things being implemented in Metro Manila will also be implemented in our region, just so we can keep the community safe from undesirable individuals,” he added.
Bulalacao, however, said he wants to avoid the use of the word “tambay” (loiterer) because a mere “tambay” who is not doing anything wrong should not be arrested.
“But if you are loitering, threatening people who are just walking, and making women uncomfortable, you will be accosted by the police. You will be told to go away and go home,” he said. “We will not arrest them. We will just warn them.”
As for decency, Bulalacao said a person should not walk half-naked in public.
“But if there is no city ordinance against it, the police cannot apprehend them,” he said.
Bulalacao noted that his office has yet to receive a report on the abuses of policemen, almost 15 days after he issued the directive on the implementation of city ordinances.
“My instruction to them was very simple. Let us implement those being implemented in Camp Crame, but we should read between the lines. Avoid doing things that would violate human rights,” he pointed out.
Bacolod has ordinances that set a curfew for minors and impose the ban on smoking in public places, but does not have any against nudity and drinking in public areas. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
