n the 10-day anti-tambay campaign in the Central Visayas, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 said 1,179 individuals were dispersed with Cebu City topping the list with 557 apprehensions.

PRO-7 regional director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said all “tambays” or late-night loiterers found violating ordinances on drinking and smoking in public places, half-nakedness and curfew will be charged appropriately while minors will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Next to Cebu City were Mandaue City, 143; Lapu-Lapu City, 63; Negros Oriental province, 4, and Bohol province, 4. Siquijor has zero tambay apprehension.

“We will not go beyond our actions,” Sinas said as he ordered each chief in the provincial and city units to conduct information dissemination campaign first before any apprehension.

As this developed, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Senior Supt. Joel Doria warned that this week they will start apprehending loiterers who violate laws or ordinances when they continue to enforce Oplan Tambay.

He said the apprehended individuals were given stern warnings but were sent home in simultaneous operations in the region last Friday.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) provincial director Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena, for his part, said he directed cops to focus on the most “densely and thickly” populated cities first.

He reiterated his cops were told to observe human rights policies at all times.

“While we are doing this, we are not curtailing the rights of our citizens,” Abrugena stressed.

Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte first issued the anti-tambay directives to police officers on June 13 but the other day he clarified that he did not order to arrest them.

“On loiterers, I never said arrest them. My critics are stupid. Why don’t you at least listen or rewind what I had said? What I said was: ‘You go home. Do not congregate,’” Duterte said in a speech in Davao City recently.