MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday that its “Safer Cities” campaign is showing early success as the number of people caught violating local ordinances continues to decline.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the downward trend reflects growing public awareness and cooperation, not just stricter police enforcement.
He said the drop to around 6,500 violators signals that more communities are beginning to follow rules voluntarily.
“The numbers don’t lie. Malaking bahagi nito ay ang kooperasyon ng publiko,” Nartatez said, stressing that fair and consistent enforcement encourages compliance rather than fear.
The initiative, launched on April 6, targets common city violations such as drinking in public areas, minors violating curfews, topless loitering, and karaoke sessions beyond allowed hours.
Based on PNP records as of April 19, violators decreased from 13,139 at the start of the campaign to 6,514. In total, more than 119,000 individuals have been apprehended over the past two weeks.
Authorities said most violations involved public drinking, followed by curfew breaches, topless loitering, and late-night karaoke. Thousands of others were linked to assorted local ordinance violations.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged local governments to strengthen their ordinances to support the program and ensure consistent enforcement.
For Nartatez, clear and uniform rules are key to sustaining progress.
“A standardized ordinance removes confusion and ensures fairness for both citizens and police officers,” he said.
The program is currently being tested in parts of Metro Manila, with expansion to other urban centers being planned.
ia/xf
