PB member fights ban on smoking in Talisay

The plan to ban smoking in public places, including public utility vehicles may scare off would-be investors in Talisay City, or so says provincial board member Joven Mondigo, who opposed the approval of the report made by the Committee on Laws regarding the amendment to be made to the Sanitation Code of 2002.

The said ordinance penalizes anybody in Talisay City caught smoking in public places such as streets, markets, churches, plazas, shopping malls and even in jeepneys.

Mondigo said the provision is included in the original Sanitation Ordinance crafted in 2002. At that time Talisay was then a municipality and already had a number of residents and investors.

"Consider the number of smokers in Talisay now that it is already a city. There is expectedly a great number of smokers than non-smokers," Mondigo said, adding that he is concerned with smokers who may be vulnerable to harassment as would-be-violators.

"This may trigger controversy in the future, and the repercussions would be far reaching. Smoking is not per se bad," Mondigo said.

He cited another gray area in the ordinance like the sanitary officers authorized by the mayor to issue citation tickets, other law enforcing agents, Mondigo said, can also exercise such a duty.

To debate this, authors of the ordinance, Talisay City councilors Shirley Belleza and Rodi Cabigas, were invited to appear in next week's session.