The Dumaguete City government has deployed 60 smoke-free enforcers around the city to implement provisions of City Ordinance No. 94, series of 2011 in relation to RA 9211 which is an act regulating the packaging, use, sale, distribution and advertisements of tobacco products and for other purposes, and in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s executive order on this matter.
This was disclosed by Joey Abella, member of the smoke-free council in Dumaguete who conducted a reorientation course to all the smoke free enforcers, after which 15 or so violators were caught enflagrante delicto smoking in public places of the city.
Abella said late Wednesday afternoon that the smoke-free enforcers are now complete with uniforms and to be issued citation tickets, first offense is a fine of P500 aside from undergoing a lecture about the ill-effects of smoking with an option to undertake a community service.
For second offenders, a fine of P1,000 will be imposed including a smoke-cessation lecture, while 3rd offenders will be slapped with a P3,000 fine plus an imprisonment at the discretion of the court.
Failure to pay the fine within 20 days after issuance of the citation ticket will be enough reason to place the violator in the list of blacklisted personalities, since records of their violations will be submitted to the police and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Abella denied insinuations it has stopped implementing the smoke-free ordinance, in fact, the city government is vying for the grand slam after winning the Red Orchid Award for two consecutive years, in 2014 and 2015. (JFP/JG)
