Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla clarified the conditions of the department’s half-naked policy, citing safety in walking alone, and admitting oversight in the arrest of a working construction worker, on Monday, 11 May.

In Valenzuela City’s Safer City Initiative press conference, Remulla explained that the measure was only asking for the “bare minimum,” intended to reduce fear among residents, especially women, in Metro Manila.

“Paano ang pakiramdam nila na bumaba galing sa MRT, magtricycle o magjeep tapos maglalakad sila ng nasa 300 meters papunta sa bahay nila, tapos ang kaharap nila ‘yung mga taong nag-iinuman, mga taong walang T-shirt na naglalakad diyan, nakakatakot ‘yun,” he illustrated.

The Philippine National Police provided that “focus crimes” dropped, wherein rape and physical injury cases had the most significant changes. Rape fell from 519 to 387, whereas physical injury fell from 489 to 370.

The secretary established that working residents are exempt from the half-naked policy but maintained that loiterers in public are not.

“Totoo ‘yan, kahit si Pangulo naman ay sinita ako tungkol do’n e, pero pinaliwanag ko lang, wala namang kinaiiba ang temperature ng katawan kung naka-sando ka at kung nakahubad ka, pareho lang ‘yun,” he explained.

Remulla admitted that they were wrong in the controversial arrest of a half-naked man mixing cement in Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City, which brought concerns of the initiative as “anti-poor.”

“Kung kada piso binibigyan ako sa bash na ginagawa sa akin, aba, baka mayaman na tayo ngayon, ‘di ba? So, okay na ‘yan, okay lang ‘yan. Bash lang ang lahat, pero papatuparin ko ang batas,” he said, including Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian.

The Safer City Initiative is expected to expand beyond Metro Manila.

“There should be a little price or civility, nakikikapwa ka lang naman e, makikikapwa ka lang.”