Date | June 13, 2018 – July 29, 2018 |
---|---|
Location | Metro Manila, Philippines |
Type | Law enforcement campaign |
Target | Street loiterers |
Participants | Philippine National Police |
Arrests | 78,359 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]
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]
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]
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]
The Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections of 2016 were held on Monday, May 9, 2016, as part of the 2016 general election. This was the 16th presidential election in the Philippines since 1935 and the sixth sextennial presidential election since 1986.
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo is a Filipina lawyer and social activist who is the 14th and incumbent vice president of the Philippines. Running under the Liberal Party, Robredo won the vice-presidential contest in the May 9, 2016 election as confirmed and proclaimed by the official congressional count of May 25–27, with 14,418,817 votes, narrowly defeating Senator Bongbong Marcos by 263,473 votes. A report released by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal further widened her lead to 278,566 over Marcos. She is the second woman to serve as vice president after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the first vice president from Bicol Region.
2017 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in 2017.
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 of the Philippines, Bienvenido L. 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.
The presidency of Rodrigo Duterte began at noon on June 30, 2016, following his inauguration as the 16th president of the Philippines, succeeding Benigno Aquino III. His term is expected to end exactly six years later.
Vitaliano "Vit" Napeñas Aguirre II is a Filipino lawyer serving as a commissioner of the National Police Commission since January 11, 2021. He previously served as Secretary of Justice under President Rodrigo Duterte 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.
Ronald Marapon dela Rosa, also known as Bato, is a Filipino politician and retired Police General who is currently serving as Senator of the Philippines since 2019. He was Philippine National Police Chief from July 1, 2016 to April 19, 2018 and Director General of the Bureau of Corrections from April 30 to October 12, 2018.
The Philippine drug war is the anti-drug policy and actions of the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016. According to former Philippine National Police Chief and future senator Ronald dela Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the neutralization of illegal drug personalities nationwide".
On April 27, 2017 a scandal arose when a team from the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) raided the Manila Police District (MPD) station 1 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines and discovered that about 12 men and women were being detained inside a cell hidden behind a bookshelf. It was reported that these prisoners inside the said cell were being held by the police allegedly to be released only upon payment of ransom.
Protests against President Rodrigo Duterte began 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.
Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman were the three teenagers who were killed on August 16 to 18, 2017, during the course of the Philippine drug war.
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, the allegations of ouster plot against Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, was first publicized by the military, who mainly implicated the opposition figures and the critics of the Duterte administration of involving in the plot. Several opposition groups who have been tagged heavily criticized the inclusion, mostly called it "baseless" and subsequently denied the involvement in the plot. In April and May 2019, Malacañang Palace released the diagrams, called "Oust Duterte matrix", containing the alleged destabilization efforts made by the media organizations and journalists and later the opposing political parties; Malacañang claimed that the source of the diagram is from the President Duterte "himself".
The Negros killings were a series of targeted assassinations carried out in the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental in the Philippines against labelled Communists and their sympathizers.
2020 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2020. The year is largely defined by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the national economy to go into recession.
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 in 2019.
This article attempts to document the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.
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.
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.