DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday visited a construction worker who was cited for being shirtless while mixing cement outside his home in Mandaluyong City last week, amid the implementation of the Safer Cities Initiative aimed at enforcing local ordinances on vagrancy.

Remulla said public officials should be accountable as he personally apologized to Jhony Lanquino in Barangay Addition Hills and admitted fault over the unclear implementation of the policy.

“Kasalanan ko kasi ‘yan kasi hindi ko naklaro sa kanila kung ano talaga ang patakaran. Siyempre, alam ko maraming nagtatrabaho dito—mainit—magtatanggal ka talaga ng T-shirt,” Remulla said.

“Siyempre, ganado ang mga bata natin. Sabi ko, easy muna. Dala ’yan ng mga pulis na gusto talagang i-push ang patakaran namin. Dito, lalo na sa lugar ninyo, maraming nagkakasakitan. Para naman sa lahat ’yan,” he added.

During his visit, Remulla returned the P500 fine paid by Lanquino and extended financial assistance to help the family complete the cement flooring and tiling work in their home.

The couple accepted the apology, with Lanquino’s wife, Norietta, saying they were not against the policy but stressed that authorities should have issued a warning first.

“Hindi naman kami against doon. Nag-react lang ako kasi dapat warning muna. Ticket kasi agad. Doon sa Barangay Bagong Silang, sinisita nila ’yan—puwede ka magbihis muna,” she said.

“Nagpapasalamat kami kasi napansin kami ni Sec sa mga hinaing namin. Dapat na mairebisa talaga ’yung batas na ’yun. Kahit maliit lang kami, binabaan niya kami,” she added.

On April 6, Remulla announced stricter implementation of the ban on alcohol, gambling, and going shirtless in public areas, along with other measures under the Safer Cities Initiative.

He clarified that exemptions would be provided under the local ordinance penalizing people who go shirtless in public spaces, noting that workers are allowed to remove their shirts while on the job.

“Basta nagtatrabaho, puwede. Pero ’yung mga tambay na naglalakad na walang T-shirt, bawal ’yun. Lahat ng eskinita—public naman ’to, hindi private,” he said.

Remulla also emphasized the importance of humility among public officials.

“What we lack is accountability among public officials. Kung nagkakamali, walang gustong umamin. Nakita ko naman na mali talaga ako, minabuti ko nang pumunta rito para humingi ng pasensya,” he said.

“People have to take accountability for their actions. If they are wrong, there’s nothing wrong with saying sorry. We all have to be humble in our jobs,” he added.