Image: Facebook/Ethel Booba
It seems even Ethel Booba’s essential “Charot!” that so often drives the point of her comical antics and hard-hitting criticism on Twitter is no match to the seriousness of the latest crackdown of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on loiterers.
Since 5 a.m. of June 13 to 5 a.m. of June 20, it has been reported that the PNP has arrested as much as 7, 291 tambays in Metro Manila alone, rounding up nighttime idlers and loiterers in the dark streets of the city.
Many people have since been alarmed by the said crackdown, with some taking to social media to air out their grievances.
An alarming tweet of a netizen JM (@jmflorante) made last June 17 showed that one of his friends was a victim of the tambay crackdown. The netizen maintained that his friend and their companions went to Makati at 11 p.m. of June 16 to pick up their other friend before heading out.
The group of friends waited outside the house since their other friend was just changing his clothes and won’t take too long, JM wrote. It was there when some policemen approached the group and detained them in the precinct for being tambays.
Ethel retweeted the netizen’s tweet on her Twitter page, noting that the police were probably trained to be intimidating.
“I think the police were trained to be intimidating. Even if they invite you in a nicest way, you have the right to refuse and if they insist upon it, ask for a warrant of arrest,” advised Ethel in a serious manner yesterday, June 19.
“Minsan matuto tayo tumanggi o humindi basta alam mong wala kang ginagawang masama. Charot!”
(Sometimes we need to learn to say no and resist, if we know we’re on the right. Charot!)
I think the police were trained to be intimidating. Even if they invite you in a nicest way, you have the right to refuse and if they insist upon it, ask for a warrant of arrest. Minsan matuto tayo tumanggi o humindi basta alam mong wala kang ginagawang masama. Charot! https://t.co/n28H4IqRa2
— Ethel Booba (@IamEthylGabison) June 19, 2018
Another netizen, a certain Jac (@jacaguete), replied to Ethel’s tweet, with a situational question: “E kung nakatutok ang baril? Tas pag [tumanggi] ka sabihin nanlaban tas tataniman ng 38 caliber, anu magagawa?”
(What if a gun is pointed [at you], and if you refuse [to come], they would say you resisted, and then they’d plant a .38 caliber gun on you; what can you do?)
Ethel, in a serious manner once more, gave sound advice on what the person may do in such a situation.
“Kung una pa lang ganyan na wag mong asahan may matino sila gagawin sayo,” Ethel replied yesterday, June 19. “Kapag dinala ka sa presinto at kinulong ka wala ka ginawa masama tawagan mo mga taong pwede makatulong sayo.”
(If that’s the case from the start, don’t expect them to do anything good on you. If you are brought to the precinct and detained, even without you doing anything wrong, call up people who can help you.)
Ethel added that they can file a case against the police. “ARBITRARY DETENTION ikaso nyo. Charot!”
(File an arbitrary detention case. Charot!)
Kung una pa lang ganyan na wag mong asahan may matino sila gagawin sayo. Kapag dinala ka sa presinto at kinulong ka wala ka ginawa masama tawagan mo mga taong pwede makatulong sayo and you can file a case against them. ARBITRARY DETENTION ikaso nyo. Charot! https://t.co/rakzmorre8
— Ethel Booba (@IamEthylGabison) June 19, 2018
Later on that same day, Ethel shared a picture of her posing between two security guards. Alluding to the tambay crackdown, she wrote in jest, “Tambay muna sa labas. Charot!”
(Let’s first go loitering outside. Charot!)
Tambay muna sa labas. Charot! pic.twitter.com/DWoJpGhtSs
— Ethel Booba (@IamEthylGabison) June 19, 2018
The crackdown against tambays first came to be when President Rodrigo Duterte ordered authorities last Wednesday, June 13, to get rid of people idling in the streets at night. According to an INQUIRER report today, June 20, the Eastern Police District — covering Pasig, Marikina, Mandaluyong and San Juan — has the most arrests with around 2,237.
The Manila Police District is at the bottom with around 851 arrests thus far. JB
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