MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government has passed an ordinance setting up a ticketing system enabling lawbreakers to pay fines immediately instead of being brought to jail for detention.

Ordinance 2752-2018 known as the “Quezon City Procedure in the Implementation of City Ordinances” orders law enforcers not to apprehend ordinance violators immediately, but instead issue them an “ordinance violation receipt (OVR)” and they could pay off the fine within 5 days.

Ordinance violators can pay the fine at the barangay hall where he or she was apprehended or could go straight to the City Treasurer’s Office based in the Quezon City Hall.

Covered ordinances: In a statement sent on Monday, October 15, the Quezon City Public Information Office (QC PIO) said the new system primarily covers the following offenses done in public places:

• Drinking alcohol, which is currently being challenged in court
• Being half-naked
• Smoking, which was banned through an executve order of President Rodrigo Duterte

The catch: Receving an OVR means the person already admits violating the ordinance and will no longer contest it in court.

“Any apprehended person who does not wish to contest the violation and is willing to voluntarily pay the fine imposed upon them prior to the filing of formal complaint shall be allowed to pay the fine with the City Treasurer or in the barangay where he/she was apprehended,” QC PIO said.

“The case shall then be considered closed,” the office added.

How much is the fine? Ordinance violators will pay based on the fine amount specified per ordinance. The amount of the fine increases whenever the offender repeats committing the crime. 

“The fine shall be the minimum imposable by the ordinance violated, if there are fines imposed in the second and third offenses, the minimum fine in the second and third offenses shall be charged,” the QC PIO said.

If the ordinance violator has no cash to pay, her or she can render “community service.”

Violators shall render 1 to 2 days of community service for the first offense, 2 to 3 days for the second offense, and 3 to 4 days for the third offense.

The limit to the ordinance: A person can only avail of the OVR for 3 times per offense.

“If the violator had already availed of the No Contest Provision three times, he/she can no longer avail of the privilege and the maximum penalty imposed shall be filed against the violator,” the QC PIO added.

Why does this matter? The ordinance was passed to mitigate the congestion of police detention facilities, which have been bursting since the government launched its so-called war on drugs.

The crowding was aggravated further when the PNP stepped up in its apprehension of local ordinance violators, after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the apprehension of people who stand idly in public or “tambays.” – Rappler.com