'Tambay' roundup reminiscent of martial law, rights group says
MANILA, Philippines — A rights group on Tuesday likened President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to law enforcers to round up tambays (loiterers) to the situation during martial law, a rights group stressed Tuesday.
Karapatan called the recently ramped-up roundup of tambays “patently illegal” as police actions directly affect the rights of individuals against illegal arrests, illegal search and seizure, and impede their rights to mobility.
“Such acts can even be reminiscent of Marcos’ martial law when curfews were enforced by his brutal state forces,” it said.
The group, moreover, questioned the classification of individuals as tambays.
“[It] is very arbitrary, giving broad and vast powers to the police in accosting anyone on the streets at night time, especially when laws on vagrancy have been repealed,” Karapatan said.
The Philippine National Police is still working on its guidelines on the enforcement of local ordinances against loitering.
Vagrancy was decriminalized in 2012 although local governments can and have enacted ordinances against 'tambays'.
READ: Pangilinan tells cops: Loitering no longer a criminal offense
In a speech last week, Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police to go after tambays.
Defending the president’s order, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the crackdown on loiterers is meant to keep the streets in the Philippines safe.
“The president’s remarks are for the police to ask those who stay late at night in the streets to go home. Now, should they be arrested if they refuse? The president as a lawyer knows that if no crime has been committed, there is no basis for arrest,” he said.
According to the Philippine National Police, around 3,000 supposed 'tambays' have been arrested since the president gave his order.
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