Street-side drinking sessions and blaring videoke machines past 10 p.m. are now in the crosshairs of a renewed police enforcement drive that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla says will begin in Metro Manila before spreading nationwide.
Remulla directed the Philippine National Police to strictly enforce existing local government ordinances targeting noise violations, public drinking, and curfew breaches — measures he framed as a way to translate falling crime statistics into something residents can actually feel in their communities.
“Why are we doing this? Because the majority of the criminal activities happen in urban areas, it’s time to make the people feel safer where they live,” Remulla said.
Drinking in public spaces topped the list of behaviors authorities intend to penalize. Remulla drew a direct line between street-side alcohol consumption and incidents of brawling and sexual harassment, while clarifying that gatherings held inside private residences would not be affected.
“Drinking along the streets are usually the cause of street fight and even sexual harassment but from now on, we will be prohibiting it. If you hold drinking sessions inside your residence, not a problem but if it’s in public places, you would be in trouble,” he said.
On videoke, Remulla acknowledged its place in Filipino culture even as he called for restraint. Residents who feel ordinances are being violated can dial 911 and expect police to respond, he said.
“I understand that videoke is our favorite pastime but please, please let your neighbors sleep, especially the children,” Remulla said.
Beyond noise and drinking, the crackdown extends to minors loitering after curfew hours. Remulla singled out youth gang members and out-of-school, unemployed youth as the target of stricter nighttime street enforcement, saying those without reason to be outside after 10 p.m. will be ordered home.
Men walking through their communities without shirts will also face enforcement action. “If you don’t want to be in trouble, please wear even sandos because we will be running after those who roam around without shirts,” Remulla said.
The campaign is not without precedent in the capital region. A similar ordinance enforcement drive under then-NCRPO director Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar during the Duterte administration was credited with pushing Metro Manila’s crime volume down by 60 percent. The ordinances in force then covered much of the same ground — public drinking, shirtless roaming, minor curfews, littering, smoking, and videoke misuse.
More recently, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberiin launched a comparable initiative upon taking command last year, resulting in thousands of arrests and charges filed against violators, along with millions of pesos in fines that flowed back to local government coffers across the National Capital Region.
