General Santos starts arresting smokers in public places

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – After months of holding back, the city government finally decided it is time to crack down on smokers who continue to defy the smoking ban here.

General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera last week ordered the city police office to arrest violators of the city ordinance, which bans smoking in “enclosed public building or privately owned but used, rented or occupied by the government offices and agencies or any of its instrumentalities and in any workplaces, whether public or privately-owned.”

“It is for the good of our constituents,” Rivera said during the launch of an amended city ordinance in August 2015.

The new ordinance gives more teeth to the city law that bans smoking in public places.

The ordinance was passed in May 2015, but it took more than 7 months before the city government was able to issue the implementing rules of the smoking ban.

The city government earlier warned that the police would begin cracking down on smokers last November.

Rivera said that Senior Superintendent Maximo Layugan, city police office director, had been deputized to fully implement the ordinance, also known as Ordinance Number 6, Series of 2015, or the The Anti-Smoking Ordinance.

The ban covers public outdoor spaces where a crowd of people gather or congregate regardless of ownership.

Considered outdoor spaces are parks, playgrounds, sports grounds, or centers, gaming areas, cock fighting areas, healthcare/hospital compounds, memorial parks, memorial gardens, beaches, resorts, pools, market streets, sidewalks, parking areas, walkways, entrance ways, waiting areas, stairwells, and the like.

Councilor Rosalita Nuñez, principal author of the ordinance, said the local legislation carries with it fines and imprisonment or both for violators.

Under the ordinance, individuals caught smoking in public places will be fined from P1,000 – P3,000. Business establishments which fail to comply with the provisions of the ordinance, especially on the designation of smoking areas, will face a P1,000- P5,000 fine.

Also covered by the ban are government-owned vehicles and public transport.

The new anti-smoking ordinance also makes permitting, abetting, tolerating, or knowingly allowing smoking in the restricted areas as unlawful. Violators will be penalized for it. 

It will also be unlawful to obstruct or refuse the entry of any member of the Anti-Smoking Task Force or its duly deputized enforcers into places covered by the ordinance.

Mayor Rivera said the ban is good for the health of residents here especially when told that smokers are getting younger.

He also cited statistics that show 10 Filipinos die every hour due to cigarette smoking.

Rivera himself was a heavy smoker, but he quit in 2015, upon advice of his doctors.

“I want to make Gensan a non-smoking city. I even stopped smoking for this,” the mayor said. “Of course, I want a strict implementation of this [ordinance]. That’s why we have the police.”

Another former heavy smoker, Councilor Franklin Gacal Jr, said he would introduce another ordinance banning the retail sale of cigarettes in the city.

“There are no graphic warnings in cigarettes sticks and packs, which is a violation of the Philippine Clean Air Act,” he said.

Gacal is hoping that his proposed ordinance will make it more difficult to sell cigarettes in the city.

Gacal suffered from massive stroke two years ago, but survived. He said he has since quit smoking.

The city is hoping to follow the lead of Davao City, which has been strictly enforcing a smoking ban for over two decades.

Like Rivera, Davao City’s mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, used to be a heavy smoker.

The no-nonsense drive to rid public spaces and establishments of smokers has earned the city raves. Prominent personalities, even visiting elected officials, have been arrested for smoking in public in Davao. – Rappler.com