Smoking violations rise by 65% in Davao City
June 02, 2014 at 08:31am
“A total of 3,883 apprehensions were made in 2013 compared with only 2,356 apprehensions in 2012,” said Dr. Domilyn C. Villareiz, chief of the city’s anti-smoking task force.
Ms. Villareiz attributed the increasing number of violations to the expanded coverage of the new ordinance, which practically allows smoking in this city only in private homes and vehicles as well as designated smoking areas.
Aside from its wider scope, the revised ordinance also introduced the issuance of a violation citation ticket.
Several cases were filed against those who failed to return their violation citation tickets, Ms. Villareiz said.
These people did not know that a second copy of the citation is held by the police and if they fail to return their citation tickets within three to five days, cases will then be filed against them, she said.
First time offenders face a fine of P1,000, or one-month imprisonment or both, depending on the court’s discretion.
The fine increases to as high as P5,000 for repeat violations and if the offender continues to violate the ordinance, then he is issued citation tickets regardless if he has paid the first violation citation ticket, she said.
The task force is not sparing anyone in the implementation of the ordinance and has apprehended a police officer who is now facing investigation, an outsider barangay executive who attended a recently held event here and who was arrested in the hotel where he was staying.
Sr. Supt. Vicente D. Danao, Davao City police director, said the policeman will be accorded due process but will most likely be suspended for the violation.
Ms. Villareiz said the city government is greatly relying on the support of the police in the enforcement of the ordinance.
So far, only 20 establishments have renewed their applications for their designated outdoor smoking areas.
Source: bworldonline.com
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