IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTIKULO 21

SOME 109 street loiterers (tambays) were picked up by elements of the Dagupan City Police with the help of Task Force Artikulo 21 of the Dagupan City government and the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) at past 10:00 p.m. on June 18 on the first day of implementation of ‘Oplan Rody; in the city.

Dagupan Police Chief P/Supt. Jandale Sulit said the operation was part of the efforts to instill discipline and to rid the streets of crimes.

Sulit cited “Artikulo 21” of the city of Dagupan as the legal basis for the series of arrests which the police are helping to implement along with city government officials and personnel.

Artikulo 21 is a compilation of various ordinances that seek to instill discipline in all corners of the city, especially in the streets.

He said while non-residents of Dagupan may be exempted from its coverage, Dagupan residents have to be processed initially.

Those rounded up by the police were brought by trucks and police patrol jeeps to the Caranglaan covered court where they underwent profiling, lectured and warned about their violations of Artikulo 21.

All were released without being charged but warned that will be fined on their second offense.

The police and their force multipliers zeroed in on loiterers along A. B. Fernandez before proceeding to Nueva and Galvan streets.

P/Senior Supt. Ronald Lee, dropped by to oversee the initial implementation of Oplan Rody.

Among those of arrested on Nueva Street were playing basketball without shirts on while others drinking in front of their houses.

Lee said he expected to see many city residents loitering at night because of high population density in Dagupan being an urban city.

Meanwhile, he said he expects police in other cities and towns in Pangasinan to begin implementing Oplan Rody.

Artikulo 21 prohibits children loitering at night, adults from drinking in public, walking the streets without shirts on, spitting, defecating and urinating in the streets, creating noise, playing karaoke loudly, litterbugs, etc.

‘Pigar-pigar’ eateries were also warned against serving beer and liquor to late diners.

Sulit said the strict enforcement of Artikulo 21 will make the city a more peaceful place to  live in. (Leonardo Micua) 

 

Oplan Rody earns mixed reactions

MANY are happy with Oplan Rody, still others are angry.

This was the assessment of Dagupan City Police Chief P/Supt. Jandale Sulit to the nightly implementation of Oplan Rody by the Dagupan Police and its partner agencies against street loiterers or bystanders, aka “tambays” launched in the city on June 18.

But Sulit said despite the mixed reactions, the police, Task Force Biente Uno, Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) and City Social Welfare and Development Office and the barangays will continue with the operation precinct by precinct, it being a strong deterrent to crimes.

Sulit said some even tagged Oplan Rody as a shade of martial law violating the human rights of persons since the crackdown against loiterers is not covered by law.

He countered and said the campaign is covered by “Artikulo Biente Uno,” a compendium of 21 city ordinances that imposes fines, drinking in public, spitting, urinating and defecating anywhere, vandalism, curfew to minors, no upper clothes in the streets, litterbugs, creating noise or public disturbance and others.

“This is not martial law because the police are merely protecting the people from possible harm by enforcing ordinances,” he said.

During the first night of implementation of Oplan Rody, the Dagupan Police arrested 109 loiterers and were brought at the Caranglaan open court where their profiles were taken and lectured on the ordinances. Thereafter, they were released with no penalties imposed.

Sulit said violators will be issued tickets by officials of the Artikulo Biente Uno Task Force and will be made to pay fines starting this week.

Oplan Rody is conducted from 10 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. daily.

At the precinct level, barangay chairmen have been advised about Oplan Rody and are required to be present during operations.

“Loitering in the street means one lingers in a public area for more than an hour,” Sulit said. He said persons going home from work will not be apprehended.

Oplan Rody will also strictly enforce the city ordinance on 10 p.m. curfew for children. Parents of children caught violating the ordinance will be made to suffer the penalties. (Leonardo Micua)

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