PH-wide smoking ban nets 11 violators in Pasay

A total of 11 violators were apprehended in Pasay City on the first day of the implementation of the nationwide smoking ban.

Chief Insp. Rommel Resurreccion, chief of the Maricaban police community precinct, identified the violators as Armando Nuevo, 36, vendor; Severino Capasa, 71, pedicab driver; Simon Barameda, 56, jobless; Raymond Balitos, 36, pedicab driver; Renato Berso, 33, vendor; Mark Atienza, 21, vendor; Alvin Noveloso, 24, helper; Jaypee Yabo, 33, telecom installer; Alfredo Aguila, 47, painter; Sonny Rex Cornejo, 32, pedicab driver; and Fernando Mendoza, 42, pedicab driver.

Executive Order No. 26, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, designated the Philippine National Police and local government units to apprehend violators, with penalties provided for in Republic Act No. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003.

Violators caught smoking in public areas will be fined P500 to P1,000 for the first offense, P1,000 to P5,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 to P10,000 for the third offense.

The 11 apprehended in Maricaban, Pasay City, however, were not fined. They received a stern warning after first undergoing a lecture informing them about the smoking ban, the police said. —Erika Sauler