AFTER clearing the main roads of alcohol-drinking “tambays” (loiterers), authorities plan to next sweep small and remote alleys of all villages in Cagayan de Oro City.
City police director Senior Superintendent Nelson Aganon said he has directed the police to clear side streets of loiterers, especially in front of convenience stores and other establishments.
“Sa ngayon priority natin yung pinakamalapit na main roads. Kung wala na tayong mahuli pupunta na tayo sa mga iskinita. Papasukin natin lahat para makitang fair and square tayo (At present, the main roads are our priority. We will go into the side streets next to be fair and square),” Aganon said.
He said the police will also “rescue” minors who violate the curfew ordinance that prohibits minors from roaming around the city from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Aganon reiterates that the Duterte administration's anti-tambay drive is geared toward the strict enforcement of anti-loitering ordinances to deter and curb street crimes.
The chief of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) explained that even tambays drinking liquor in convenience stores can be arrested if the establishments’ permits do not cover the drinking of alcoholic beverages in its premises.
City Councilor George Goking, chairman of the City Council's committee on trade and commerce, said they would begin looking into the licenses and permits of convenience stores.
“We will check. If there are violations they can be subjected to closure,”Goking said.
The concern was raised after some of the 91 tambays rounded up during the simultaneous anti-tambay operation on Thursday complained, saying they were only drinking in establishments that sold them the liquor.
Meanwhile, Aganon said the public seems now to have understood the campaign after only 14 tambays were arrested on Friday.
The Cocpo chief also said they have not had problems in terms of space inside detention facilities for the arrested tambays.
“Actually di naman lahat ipapasok sa selda kahit nasa sa police station kasi yung iba fine lang naman and iba dinismiss ng court kaya di naman problema ang selda kasi di naman sila nag-stay ng matagal (Actually, not all are placed in detention cells. Some are just fined and others are released after the charges are dismissed by the court. All of them are not detained long anyway),” he said.