Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla apologized on Monday after authorities apprehended a man in Mandaluyong City for not wearing a shirt during operations under the department’s "Safer Cities initiative," following public backlash.
In a press conference at Camp Crame, Remulla made the apology after a resident in Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong, was cited and briefly detained for being shirtless while mixing cement in his yard during a police operation enforcing local ordinances.
The Mandaluyong City Police, along with the whole Eastern Police District conducted Simultaneous Inter-Agency Anti-Criminality Operations (SACLEO) or Oplan Galugad on April 10 for the implementation of local ordinances, including prohibiting being shirtless in public places.
He acknowledged that unclear instructions led to improper enforcement of the campaign.
“Pupuntahan ko po siya sa mga sumusunod na araw at ako na opo ang humihingi ng paumanhin.It was my fault that I did not give clearer instructions on how to do the safer cities initiative,” Remulla said.
“Nagkulang po ako dun. Ang gusto ko lang po, ang tanging hangarin ko ay patahimikin 'yung mga kalye. Ngunit dahil sa kakulangan ng aking paliwanag ay kahit sino na lang basta walang t-shirt ay isang dinampot. Mali po 'yun. Nagkamali po kami and I take full responsibility. I will make amends and I will make sure na mag-usap po kami para ma-klaro ko po ito,” he added.
Despite the controversy, Remulla said he expects stronger results moving forward as authorities refine implementation guidelines with the agency and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
He added that the government would reassess the program after collating data on focus crimes for the month of April, saying the results would provide a clearer picture of its impact.
He added that while early results show a decline in focus crimes in Metro Manila and other areas, improvements in enforcement and communication are still needed.
“So far, ang report ng aking mga regional directors and district directors ay malaki na po ang binaba ng krimen ng eight focus crimes sa Metro Manila at sa ibang mga lugar. We expect to do more and we expect to be better. But don’t expect to be perfect,” he noted.
The incident has also prompted the suspension of ordinance implementation in Manila City, following public criticism of the enforcement.
“I'll go personally to ask for your help and we'll see if we're right. After this, we have a command conference and I'll explain and clarify what the limits are,” he said.
Remulla said nearly 6,000 individuals were apprehended in Metro Manila for going topless in public spaces since the Safer Cities Initiative began on April 6.
“Last week, we implemented the Safer Cities Initiative, and it has resulted in numerous citations. So far, the total number of violators in Metro Manila was 6,708. There were 2,584 fined, 181 charged, and 3,943 warned or released. Most of them were drinking and smoking in public spaces,” he said.
He also noted that under the initiative, law enforcement agencies are tasked with stricter enforcement of bans on public drinking, late-night videoke activities, and curfews for minors.
