President-elect Duterte “corrects” false start of spokesperson (who announced curfew and a  liquor ban):   Unveils Peace Plan, Release of Pol Prisoners, an FOI EO, Transpo Infra, Crime-bust
       

         To be fair, nothing was ever heard of again about that curfew and permanent liquor ban from the team of presumptive President-elect Duterte after that morning false start when his official spokesperson said that a 10pm curfew would be implemented nationwide for 17-year-olds, and a 1am permanent liquor ban in public places for everyone (see May 10 post  ).                          

            In less than 24 hours, presumptive President-elect Duterte convened his “Transition Committee” and unveiled the following:

        The new administration will:

     1.release all political prisoners;

     2.will hold unconditional peace talks with local armed liberation movements;            

        3.will enact a Freedom of Information executive order;

     4.will fastrack transportation infrastructure to immediately address urban congestion and the transportation problem, and

     5.of course, will professionalize crime-busting. (see last night’s news reports on the announcements of the Transition Committee).

           They didn’t say anything about a curfew or criminalizing the drinking of liquour. Nada. They self-corrected.

      (just to let you know, there are enough provisions in the Revised Penal Code that punish 1.charivari; 2.”disturbing public tranquility”; 3.”wandering at night disturbing the public peace”‘; 4.disturbance in public places — be creative, get good lawyers and good legal advisers and you’ll find out you can twirl, este, er, use the Rules of Court in your favor — and enforce the laws based on overt acts and probable cause; instead of leaving it to a band of burly policemen to hold up, este, er, to hold and detain innocent 17-year-olds and innocently nocturnal beer-drinkers.)

        Be a smart “Enforcer” rather than a burly “Punisher”.
      Ok, that’s more like it.
      Let’s start again.
       Hello to new beginnings, Mr. President-elect.