Congestion at police stations worries PNP

“Most of them (violators of ordinances) are not put in jails or detention facilities of police stations. They are allowed to stay in the offices because they cannot be accommodated anymore.”

Amid its intensified campaign against loiterers throughout the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is facing a dilemma of congesting stations with those apprehended for violating local ordinances.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, at a press briefing at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, stressed that most of those apprehended for violating ordinances are not put to detention facilities but only inside police stations.

Albayalde noted that there is already congestion of police detention facilities due to the huge number of arrest in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Most of them (violators of ordinances) are not put in jails or detention facilities of police stations. They are allowed to stay in the offices because they cannot be accommodated,” said Albayalde.

Albayalde explained that violations of ordinances have varying sanction or penalties depending on the local government. There are those that slap huge fines while others need to be submitted for inquest.

He said during his time as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), those who could not afford to pay fines were ordered to do community service or do push-ups.

As of Wednesday, the NCRPO already reported more than 7,200 individuals arrested for various violations of ordinances –barely a week after President Duterte ordered an intensified drive against “tambays” or loiterers.

Camp Crame is still awaiting official data coming from other Police Regional Offices (PROs) on their accomplishments in the campaign against loiterers.

The PNP chief is urging the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to help the PNP in seeking actions from the local government officials to improve detention facilities.

“That is precisely what we want the CHR should do, to inspect all the detention cells for them to see personally…that is part of human rights,” said Albayalde.

“Maybe they can help us with this…how they can convince the different local chief executives to make it a priority program the expansion of detention cells in the police stations,” he added.

Albayalde recalled that during his two-year tenure as NCRPO chief, there were 26 detainees who died while under detention in various Metro Manila police station.

“It’s a concern for everybody,” said Albayalde.