Oplan Tambay

Last updated
Oplan Tambay
DateJune 13, 2018 – July 29, 2018
Location Metro Manila, Philippines
TypeLaw enforcement campaign
TargetStreet loiterers
Participants Philippine National Police
Arrests78,359 loiterers (Metro Manila only, July 29, 2018) [1]

Oplan Tambay was the law enforcement campaign first announced by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 13, 2018, that penalized the loiterers (Tagalog : tambays) who violated the city ordinance such as smoking in public places, drinking liquor on the streets, and going shirtless in public. [2] The campaign had at least 8,000 residents were either accosted or apprehended for violating the rules in two weeks. [3]

Contents

Background

On September 18, 2017, Duterte said that he wanted the police to "pick up" the people who loiter in the streets at night and to arrest the person who drink liquor in public places. [4] In his speech on June 13, 2018, Duterte ordered the police to impose stricter measures against the loiterers "to make the streets safer." [5] The campaign was announced by the PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on June 18, 2018. [6] He said that those who violated the local ordinances would be arrested. [7] This includes drinking in public, alarm and scandal, curfew on minors, smoking on public, and partial nudity in public. [7]

There are no laws that criminalize the bystanders. Then-President Benigno Aquino III signed the Republic Act 10158 on 2012 that decriminalized vagrancy. [8] An Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code said that the police should arrest “any person found loitering about public or semi-public buildings or places or tramping or wandering about the country or the streets without visible means of support.” [8] The said article has been removed, allowing the people to roam freely. [8]

Death of Genesis Argoncillo

The death of Genesis "Tisoy" Argoncillo has been attributed to the Oplan Tambay. [9] Argoncillo, who was arrested during an Oplan Tambay operation on June 15, was allegedly killed by fellow detainees inside the Novaliches Police Station on June 19 after serving 4-days in the detention. [10] [11] [12] On June 15, the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD)-Station 4 conducted a raid (also known as Oplan Galugad) in Sitio 5B, Novaliches. [11] The police claimed that Argoncillo and his friends challenged a fight with them when the authorities arrived at their scene, thus Argoncillo was imprisoned for "alarm and scandal." [11] The QCPD-4 chief denied that there was a "foul play" occurred on Argoncillo's death. On the midnight of June 18, one of the inmate discovered the unconscious Argoncillo. [11]

According to Argoncillo's elder sister, Marilou Argoncillo, he was watching videos on his phone in front of a store next to their house in Novaliches, Quezon City, when police officers arrested him for being a shirtless. [13] Other sources stated that, according to the police, Argoncillo was arrested for "being drunk and picking up a fight with his neighbors." [14] Supt. Carlito Grijaldo, commander of Quezon City Police Station 4, said that Argoncillo's death was self-inflicted, claiming that the detainee was "mentally disturbed". [13] A death certificate shows that Argoncillo's "immediate cause" of his death was "multiple blunt force trauma" applied to his "head, neck, chest, and upper extremities." [15] QCPD Director Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel said that Argoncillo had no signs of external injuries when the autopsy conducted. [10] The police earlier claimed that Argoncillo had died from shortness of breath. [3] The police filed the charges against Justin Mercado and Richard Bautista—alleged Sputnik gang members. The two were held responsible for supposedly mauling Argoncillo. [10] According to Esquivel, they have been relieved at least five police officers following the death of Argoncillo. [16]

Reactions

This campaign was described by some sectors as another human rights violation being committed by the administration. [17] Randy David, sociology professor of University of the Philippines Diliman, said in an opinion statement that Duterte has "able to instill fear in people's minds even without declaring martial law by ordering the Philippine National Police to crack down on "tambays" or street loiterers." [18] Gabriela party-list blamed Duterte for high volume of loiterers in the streets, citing the low salary rate and the government's failure of ending the ENDO. [19] Conversely, Chief Insp. Mercy Villaro, spokesperson of the Mandaue City Police Office said the campaign against loiterers "would help address the problem of fraternities in the city." [20]

On June 25, a netizen posted a photo of commuters holding a tarpaulin banner saying "Hindi po kami tambay, nag-aabang lang ng jeep. At kung tambay man huwag kaming hulihin, saktan, patayin!" (transl. "We're not hanging out, just waiting for the jeep. And if we are bystanders, do not arrest, hurt, kill!") while waiting for a jeepney ride. [21]

On June 26, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said that he proposed to "deputized" the barangay tanods instead of police officers in implementing the anti-tambay campaign. [22] The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) planned to build a community shelters for the street children as the campaign expands. [9] On June 27, militant and religious groups protested against the campaign. [23] On June 30, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) expressed support for the campaign against the loiterers. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Trillanes</span> Filipino politician (b. 1971)

Antonio "Sonny" Fuentes Trillanes IV is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007 in protest against the Arroyo administration, and he is a vocal critic of the Duterte administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Philippine presidential election</span>

The 2016 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on Monday, May 9, 2016, as part of the 2016 general election. This was the 16th direct presidential election in the Philippines since 1935 and the fifth sextennial presidential election since 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Quiboloy</span> Filipino pastor and religious leader

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy is a Filipino pastor and the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, a Restorationist church based in the Philippines. He founded the KOJC in 1985, proclaiming himself the "Appointed Son of God" and the "Owner of the Universe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Rodrigo Duterte</span>

The inauguration of Rodrigo Duterte as the 16th president of the Philippines took place at around noon (PHT) on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Malacañang Palace in Manila. The oath of office was administered by the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Bienvenido Reyes. Veronica Duterte, Duterte's daughter with Honeylet Avanceña, held the Bible of the president's late mother Soledad. Veronica was joined by her three siblings, namely Sara, Paolo and Sebastian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitaliano Aguirre II</span> Filipino lawyer and government official

Vitaliano "Vit" Napeñas Aguirre II is a Filipino lawyer serving as a commissioner of the National Police Commission from January 11, 2021 to June 30, 2022. He previously served as Secretary of Justice under the Duterte administration from 2016 until his resignation in 2018, and vice president and chief legal counsel of Clark Development Corporation under former President Benigno Aquino III. He gained wide public attention in 2012 during the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona when he was cited for contempt after he was caught covering his ears while being lectured by the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald dela Rosa</span> Filipino politician and retired police general (born 1962)

Ronald Marapon dela Rosa, also known as Bato, is a Filipino politician and retired police officer who is currently serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2019. He served under the Duterte administration as the chief of the Philippine National Police from July 1, 2016, to April 19, 2018, overseeing the government's anti-drug campaign; he also served as the Director General of the Bureau of Corrections from April 30 to October 12, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine drug war</span> Campaign against illegal drug trade in the Philippines

The War on Drugs is the intensified anti-drug campaign that began during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who served office from June 30, 2016, to June 30, 2022. The campaign reduced drug proliferation in the country, but has been marred by extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the police and unknown assailants. By 2022, the number of drug suspects killed since 2016 was officially tallied by the government as 6,252; human rights organizations and academics, however, estimate that 12,000 to 30,000 civilians have been killed in "anti-drug operations" carried out by the Philippine National Police and vigilantes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protests against Rodrigo Duterte</span> Political protests against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Protests against Former President Rodrigo Duterte escalated on November 18, 2016, following Duterte's support of the burial of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. These series of protests are mostly conducted by progressive groups and other opposing figures mainly due to the ongoing war on drugs, the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, and employment issues such as contractual terms being applied by companies and inflation which occurred due to the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. Other causes of the protests include the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and the shutdown and franchise denial of ABS-CBN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of protests against Rodrigo Duterte</span>

The following is a timeline of protests against Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th President of the Philippines, and his policies. Issues were addressed in the protests including the war on drugs, employment issues, anti-terror law, and the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2019.

Since September 2018, allegations of an ouster plot against Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, have been publicized by the military, who mainly implicated opposition figures and critics of the Duterte administration of involving in the plot. Several opposition groups who have been tagged heavily criticized their inclusion and subsequently denied the involvement in the plots.

The Negros killings were a series of targeted assassinations carried out by unidentified gunmen in the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Some of the victims involved were suspected communists or sympathizers. Following the killings, Memorandum Order No. 32 was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on November 23, 2018, upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte deploying additional troops to the provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Samar, and the Bicol Region to "suppress sporadic acts of violence" allegedly committed by lawless groups and to "prevent such violence from spreading and escalating elsewhere in the country." Even after the memorandum was signed, the incidence of killings continued. According to the Defend Negros Movement, the first recorded extrajudicial killing on Negros Island was Alexander Ceballos on January 20, 2017. The group also alleged that at least 84 persons have been killed since 2017.

2020 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2020.

<i>Kolateral</i> 2019 studio album by various artists

Kolateral is a studio rap album by Sandata, a group headed by Filipino rap artists and activists BLKD and Calix. It has twelve tracks that offer narratives and socio-political commentary on the Philippine drug war under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The album uses themes of art, activism, and protest and is a product of two-years worth of research from the stories of the victims, data gathered, and other information. It was released June 29, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

Both the national government and local governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines with various declarations of emergency, closure of schools and public meeting places, lockdowns, and other restrictions intended to slow the spread of the virus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 PNP–PDEA shootout</span> Fatal gun battle between 2 law enforcement agencies in a major Philippine city

On February 24, 2021, a botched buy-bust operation resulted in a shootout between units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. The incident resulted in the deaths of two police officers, a PDEA agent and an informant. Both agencies claimed that they had been conducting a legitimate anti-drug operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protests during the State of the Nation Addresses of Rodrigo Duterte</span>

The State of the Nation Addresses of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines, were met with several protests.

2022 in the Philippines details notable events that occurred in the Philippines in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic, which largely defined the preceding two years, continued into 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quezon City Police District</span> PNPs police district in the Quezon City

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is a police district under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) serves the Quezon City as its law enforcement agency. The headquarters located at Camp Tomas Karingal.

The drug policy of the Philippines is guided by the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and is implemented by the Dangerous Drugs Board with its implementing arm, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency along with other member agencies. Aside from regulating and prohibiting the usage, sale, production of certain drugs, the 2002 law is noted for including policies on drug testing.

References

  1. ↑ "Tambay by the thousands: The war on loiterers in numbers". Rappler. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. ↑ "The cost of loitering: Rundown of penalties for 'Oplan Tambay'". ABS-CBN News.
  3. 1 2 "QC Police chief expects more suspects to be charged in Genesis Argoncillo's death". Archived from the original on 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  4. ↑ "Duterte wants arrest for loiterers, people who drink in public". Rappler. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ "20 things you need to know about the 'anti-tambay' drive". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Nearly 3,000 'tambays' arrested in Metro Manila since Duterte order". Rappler. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  7. 1 2 "The cost of loitering: Rundown of penalties for 'Oplan Tambay'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "What you should know: Duterte administration's crackdown on 'tambays'". Rappler. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "DSWD to build shelters for kids as 'tambay' drive expands". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 "Murder charges filed vs 2 inmates for the death of 'Tisoy'". Philippine Daily Inquirer .
  11. 1 2 3 4 "TV Patrol: Hinuling 'tambay,' nakitang patay sa kulungan; 'Oplan Tambay,' nais ipatigil". ABS-CBN News – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Genesis Argoncillo killed by fellow detainees – QC police". Rappler .
  13. 1 2 "'Binaboy nila kapatid ko': Family seeks justice for man allegedly beaten to death in detention". ABS-CBN News.
  14. ↑ "Shirtless 'tambay' or 'troublemaker': Why was Tisoy arrested?". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Exclusive: Photos, death certificate show Genesis 'Tisoy' Argoncillo beaten to death". Rappler .
  16. ↑ "5 QC cops relieved from posts over death of Genesis Argoncillo". GMA News.
  17. ↑ "Cheers, jeers greet drive vs 'tambay' in provinces". Philippine Daily Inquirer .
  18. ↑ "Mautak! Randy David: 'Oplan Tambay' allows Duterte to terrorize people without martial law". Politiko. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) from the original.
  19. ↑ "Pagdami ng tambay, dapat isisi kay Duterte: Gabriela". ABS-CBN News.
  20. ↑ "No More Tambays". Cebu Daily News .
  21. ↑ "Look: Passengers hold banner saying 'Hindi po kami tambay'". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Deputize barangay watchmen in anti-'tambay' drive: solon". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Bandila: Protesta isinagawa laban sa operasyon ng pulis kontra tambay" (in Tagalog). ABS-CBN News – via YouTube.
  24. ↑ "Urban poor body supports anti-tambay drive". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.