A declining number of local ordinance violations indicates a shift toward public compliance rather than just stricter enforcement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.
PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said a drop to approximately 7,000 daily violators reflect improving community cooperation and consistent ground-level policing under the “Safer Cities Initiative.”
“The numbers don’t lie. A large part of this is public cooperation,” Nartatez said. “When people see that we are fair and consistent, they follow the rules. It’s a transition from fear of arrest to a culture of compliance.”
The initiative, launched 6 April, enforces rules on public drinking, topless loitering, late-night karaoke, and curfews for minors to curb street crime. The campaign aligns with directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
On 19 April, the PNP reported 6,514 violators, a significant decrease from the peak of 13,139 recorded on 7 April.
In the two weeks since the launch, the total number of recorded violations has surpassed 119,000.
Data shows drinking in public was the most common offense with 35,394 cases. Other breaches included 9,214 curfew violations for minors, 7,755 instances of going topless in public, and 1,867 cases of using karaoke machines past 10 p.m.
Various other local ordinances accounted for an additional 64,880 cases.