336 ordinance violations logged in Eastern Visayas under Safer Cities drive

PALO, Leyte — A total of 336 violations of provincial, city, and municipal ordinances across Eastern Visayas were recorded in connection with the “Safer Cities” initiative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) said the violations include 238 curfew infractions, 54 cases of drinking in public places, 35 incidents of half-naked individuals in public areas, and nine late-night videoke disturbances.

Data showed that 50 violators were fined, while 286 were reprimanded in accordance with existing local ordinances.

PRO-8 regional director P/BGen. Jason Capoy said the campaign is aimed at instilling grassroots discipline to achieve long-term peace and order.

“Our focus on these ordinances is a vital part of our mission to ensure that our streets are safe and peaceful for every Waraynon. Discipline at the local level is the foundation of true regional security,” Capoy said.

A lawyers’ group, however, criticized the campaign, calling it a “sweeping and punitive operation aimed at ordinary people, most of them from poor communities, for acts tied to daily life.”

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla cannot create crimes through a press conference, even if the agency invokes its supervisory authority over local governments.

“Only Congress, or local government units acting within their jurisdiction through valid ordinances, can define prohibited conduct and impose penalties,” the group said in a statement.

“The government cannot hide behind vague references to existing ordinances. For every apprehension, authorities must identify the exact ordinance invoked, the penalty it carries, and the legal basis for any custodial arrest,” it added.