PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. yesterday said their strict enforcement of city and municipal ordinances in the country has proven to be a major factor in reducing crimes in the streets.

Records from the PNP’s Crime Research Analysis Center said the number of non-index crimes in the country significantly went down over the past three months..

Citing comparative crime data over the same period in 2021, the CRAC noted that the Non-Index Crimes went down by 3.88 percent or 1,971 from 50,740 to 48,769. Apparent is the decrease of Non-Index Crimes in Luzon and Mindanao by 3.53 percent or 942 and 10.79 percent or 1,669 respectively, the center said.

The same set of data revealed that total crime incidents notably went up in Luzon and Visayas by 10.27 percent or 5,988 and by 15.7 percent or 2,817, respectively. However, Mindanao saw a decrease of 4.09 percent.

Cases of theft, robbery and auto theft contributed largely to the number of crime incidents.

Overall, Azurin said the Peace and Order Indicator went down by 4.41 percent or 2,711 from 61,441 to 58,730. He explained that the POI reduction can be attributed to the decrease noted in Luzon and Mindanao. On the other hand, Visayas regions increased by 5.02 percent.

Azurin said he has also ordered all 17 Police Regional Offices to continue implementing their respective ‘One-Time, Big-time’ operations against violators of city, provincial and municipal ordinances all designed to keep order on the streets.

He added that from September 26 to last October 2 alone, PNP territorial units apprehended a total of 45,545 persons found drinking and smoking in public places; 18,282 men for roaming the streets without shirts; and 4,966 men urinating on the side street or littering, dumping garbage anywhere

During the weeklong period, Azurin said 1,496 persons were also apprehended for using karaoke/videoke machines beyond the allowed time; 18,487 minors found violating curfew hours; 578 persons for vandalism; 7,741 for illegal structure and obstruction subject to road-clearing operations; 42,632 for violating city traffic ordinances; and 17,186 others for violating other local ordinances.

Overall, there were a total of 156,913 ordinance violators apprehended durign the period.

The PNP chief said the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headed by Brig. Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo made the biggest number of apprehensions with 54,004; followed by the Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) in Cagayan Valley headed by Brig. Gen. Steve B. Cudal with 17,429.

Next came the PRO3 in Central Luzon headed by Brig. Gen. Cesar DR Pasiwen with 15,372.

On his 1st day as PNP chief, Azurin barked these instructions to his men: “Walang inuman sa kanto. Walang nambabastos sa mga kababaihan. Walang mandurukot. Walang maingay sa mga kabahayan pagkalipas ng alas-dies ng gabi.”

These four simple barangay ordinances, according to Gen. Azurin are what the police should strictly implement as they go all-out to keep the streets safe 24/7.

The member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Makatao’ Class 1989 who was appointed by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. to be the country’s 28th PNP chief has ordered all PNP commanders to fully enforce all existing city, municipal and barangay ordinances in their areas which were all designed to keep peace and help prevent trouble and criminality.

For one, he said that police must strictly enforce curfew hours for minors, the ban on drinking in public and playing of karaoke or videoke machines past 10 in the evening until 4 a.m. which are already ordinances long approved by different city, municipal and barangay councils.

Strict implementation of curfew hours for minors with corresponding penalties for the parents and guardians of the violators will prevent the presence of fraternity or gang wars involving children in conflict with law.

In some parts of Metro Manila, one main problem of authorities is the presence of CICLs who fight it out in the streets while armed with rocks, bottles, slingshots and other improvised weapons including home-made guns.

Some have been killed or maimed while many properties have been damaged as a result of these gang wars.

Strict enforcement of ordinances banning drinking of liquor in public places, including ‘bangketas, eskinitas or tapat ng bahay,” according to Azurin must also be the job of the territorial police force and barangay authorities.

He explained that in many cases, presence of drunkards, shirtless men in the streets trigger little trouble which may erupt into much bigger ones specifically when these ordinance violators begin fighting each other or show rude behavior to young girls or women passing near them.

Azurin also emphasized the need for the police to coordinate with barangay authorities their efforts to respond to calls to stop loud videoke or karaoke music way past 10 p.m., the wailing sounds of the singers who are mostly engaged in drinking sessions becoming a nuisance to their neighbors who are already sleeping since they have to go to work or school the next morning or in many cases, and couples with newborn babies.

The PNP chief called for the strict enforcement of these ordinances amid his directive to his men to continue their all-out campaign against all forms of criminality specifically drugs and help the Marcos administration win back the hearts and minds of all Enemies of the State thru good governance.

Azurin has ordered a more sustained law enforcement and public safety efforts to keep the communities safer under his MKK=K or Malasakit + Kaayusan + Kapayapaan=Kaunlaran program which he initially launched during his stint as Police Regional Office 1 director in Ilocos-Pangasinan region.

“I want to employ the same aspirations to the entire PNP,” he said.

This, he explained could be done by deploying more uniformed personnel on the ground to carry out focused police operations to minimize incidents perpetrated with the use of firearms; the arrests of illegal drug users, peddlers and drug lords, members of private armed groups, criminal gang members; and recovery of carnapped vehicles and loose firearms.