DAVAO CITY, Oct. 13- The Davao City government has earned a total of P2.4 million in fines from violators of ordinances against smoking in public and drinking liquor beyond the restricted time, from January to July 2018.
Ashley Lopez, chief of the City Vice Regulation Unit, told reporters covering last Thursday’s “I-speak” media forum at the City Hall that the collection covers the anti-smoking and liquor ban violators plus polluter’s fee.
“With the P2.4-million revenue we can surpass the expected take of P4 to P5 million in the end of the year” he said.
He added their office has already reached more or less 10,000 apprehensions a year and 1, 000 apprehensions per month.
“This means that we have caught many in our implementation but then, we have noticed that people have already avoided smoking in public so we are going down to some barangays in the city to intensify the campaign and apprehend those who are smoking in non-designated areas especially in villages in the city,” said Lopez.
Lopez said that over the years the city has strengthened its campaign against smoking and this was even more intensified with the passing of the amendments to the smoking ordinance last 2012, wherein even e-cigarettes and vapes are prohibited in designated non-smoking area.
“It can mean intensified campaign for our anti-smoking as ordered by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio,” he said, adding that smoking can really cause no good in the lives of people.
While the strengthened anti-smoking campaign is in place, the recent amendments to City Ordinance 0367-12 gave the first hand smokers a “No Contest Provision” This means that those who have been apprehended can pay the citation ticket worth P 500 to the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), and go to the district health centers to undergo the Smoking Cessation counseling.
