IMPLEMENTATION OF CURFEW HOURS: ITS IMPACT TO PEACE AND ORDER IN LUCENA CITY AS PERCEIVED BY SELECTED RESIDENTS

This study used the general pattern of a descriptive design to evaluate the “Implementation of curfew hours: Its impact to peace and order in Lucena City as viewed by Selected Residents.” This study aimed to know the problems encountered by barangay police in implementing curfew in Lucena City. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: (1) What is the demographic profile of the residents’ respondents in terms of: age; sex; years in the community; barangay in Lucena, City? (2) How does the police officials and barangay police implement curfew in Lucena City? (3) What are the problems encountered in the implementation of curfew in Lucena, City? and (4) What are the possible effects on the implementation of curfew? The results of the study showed that majority of the respondents are 18-22 years old and majority are female. Majority have been staying in the community for 16-20 years and most of them are from Barangay Dalahican. Majority of the respondents disagree that police and barangay police are rounding the community from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am; police and barangay police are arresting the residents when caught outside their house during the implementation of the curfew. However, the respondents agree that the Local Government Unit (LGU) lacks proper announcement of the implementation of curfew and the barangay police lacks proper training and seminars on how the curfew will be implemented in the barangay. (Based from the given conclusions the researchers come up with the following recommendations/ where is your conclusion?) This present research recommends that police officials and barangay police may be grouped into at least two to four in rounding the community for the success of the implementation of the curfew. Police officials may carry guns while barangay police may carry their “patuta”. The barangay through the police officials and barangay police may implement the curfew in Lucena City from 10:00 pm to 4:00 pm because research states that curfew lessen the crime during these hours. Police officials and barangay police may arrest the residents outside their house in the time of curfew. Police officials and barangay police may detain the residents in the designated area and free them at 4:00 am. Moreover, for the minors who will be arrested may seek the help of their parents or guardians for them to be released. For the problems encountered in the implementation of curfew in Lucena City, this research recommends that: the LGU may use different mediums like television, radio, tarpaulins, barangay meetings to disseminate the information related to implementation of curfew in the barangay. The police officials and barangay police may attend the seminar/workshop on what/how to implement the curfew in their community in accordance to the city ordinance. For the videoke bars, the police officials and barangay police may monitor the closing time, 10:00 pm to 4:00 am, of the different bars. For the drivers, they may also observe the curfew hours. However, the food establishments may be opened 24 hours because they are not violating the curfew and not disturbing the community. For the road construction workers may take advantage of the curfew hours to work with the limited people. For police and barangay police may be given more mobile or patrol services in rounding the barangay to ensure the safety of the community. Thus, this research may be a great help to the implementation of the curfew in the barangay to ensure the peace and order of the community.