MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday urged the Senate to look into the government’s crackdown on tambays, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal order.
On Friday, Trillanes filed Resolution No. 775 that calls on the Senate to conduct an “inquiry on the alleged arrest of ‘tambays’/loiterers by the members of the Philippine National Police following the verbal order of Duterte.”
Related Stories
He seeks a legislative inquiry to review the “existing laws and local ordinances to ensure that no human rights violations were committed” during the conduct of the said order.
On June 25, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV also filed a resolution to look into the controversial crackdown.
In the two-page resolution, Trillanes said the police accosted 7,291 tambays in Metro Manila alone from June 13 to 20. More were arrested or accosted in regions, he added.
Trillanes also cited the case of Genesis “Tisoy” Agoncillo who was detained due to the crackdown and died while inside his jail cell. Agoncillo’s death drew flak from human rights advocates.
Authorities earlier said that that the 25-year-old man died after he complained of shortness of breath. But the autopsy report showed the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma to the neck, head, chest and upper extremities.
Trillanes stressed that “the seeming arbitrary arrest of tambays is rife with possible human rights violations as it constitutes warrantless arrest similar to that during martial law.” This was also pointed out by human rights groups and advocates, but was denied by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Duterte first spoke of the order in a speech on June 13. The firebrand leader called tambays as “potential trouble for public.”
But Trillanes said that the drive to roundup tambays “poses a grave threat to basic human rights of Filipinos and violates due process of law.”
“It also runs counter to the goal of the policy to make streets safer as it only promotes a culture of fear and injustices, especially among the poor, who have been continually targeted by this ‘anti-tambay’ crackdown,” he added.
At the House of Representatives, members of the Makabayan bloc sought for a legislative inquiry into the controversial crackdown. House Resolution 1969 was filed on June 25.
On June 26, Duterte said that the roundup of tambays will also include minors who will be seen loitering in the streets to “protect” them from illegal drugs. Those below 18 years old would be brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Duterte also called on the police to “not believe the criticisms” as the latter are only pretending to be bright.
Vagrancy was decriminalized in 2012 although local governments can and have enacted ordinances against loiterers.