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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Umaayos na': PNP observes decline in number of Safer Cities violators

'Umaayos na': PNP observes decline in number of Safer Cities violators

Published Apr 21, 2026 02:04 pm
Police monitored a noticeable compliance with local ordinances in Metro Manila and other key urban areas across the country less than a month after the implementation of the Safer Cities initiative.
Aside from the decline in crime volume, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a declining number of ordinance violators despite the same level of aggressive police deployment and visibility.
And for PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., such decline in the number of apprehensions showed a shift toward public compliance, not just stricter enforcement, under the Safer Cities Initiative.
“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. We want to see these numbers drop even further as the community takes ownership of their safety,” Nartatez said.
Launched on April 6, the Safer Cities Initiative enforces stricter rules on public drinking, topless loitering, late-night karaoke, and curfews for minors in a bid to curb street crimes.
On April 19, the PNP reported 6,514 violators, down from a peak of 13,139 violators on April 7, and bringing the total number of violators to over 119,000 in two weeks.
Most violations involved drinking in public areas (35,394 cases), followed by breaches of curfew rules for minors (9,214), going topless in public (7,755), and using karaoke past 10 p.m. (1,867). Another 64,880 cases were attributed to various other local ordinance violations.
Nartatez said clear legal backing at the local level is key to sustaining gains and avoiding confusion among both police and the public.
“A standardized ordinance ensures there is no confusion on the ground. It protects our officers from accusations of inconsistency and protects the citizens from 'hit-or-miss' enforcement,” said Nartatez.
“High-impact policing requires a high-level legal backbone from our LGUs,” he added.
The Safer Cities initiative was met with criticisms after the apprehension of a man mixing cement in front of his house in Mandaluyong City.
Despite the incident, police went on with the aggressive enforcement of local ordinances.

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