CCPO to intensify anti-smoking drive

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office has assured they will intensify the campaign against smoking after City Hall called for the strict implementation of the recently passed amended ordinance increasing penalties for those caught smoking in public areas in the city.

CCPO director Melvin Ramon Buenafe told The FREEMAN he has directed his police station chiefs to intensify their campaign against smoking in public places.

According to the city director, patrolling policemen should proactively apprehend violators of the said ordinance and conform to the city’s thrust.

“Aside from being a lookout for criminals, they should also include in our responsibility ang pagtan-aw nga walay nagsigarilyo sa di sakto nga lugar, apil na ana ang loitering,” Buenafe said.

He even reminds police officers who smoke in uniform that they will surely face charges. “We discourage and we are very strict on that,” he said.

According to him, as law enforcers, policemen should be good role models to the public who look up to them. The director encourages the public to help them in their campaign, “If someone would catch a policeman smoking, pwede nila picturan for evidence ug i-report namo,” he said.

Also, the police ask the public to help them in implementing the ordinance, saying they could not do it alone.

Last week, the City Council passed in its final deliberation, the proposed amended ordinance increasing the maximum fines of the said ordinance from P3,000 to P5,000 and one year imprisonment or both fine and imprisonment which would be implemented at the discretion of the court.

Once fully implemented, City Hall and Plaza Sugbo as well as other public plazas will be smoke-free.

Since the ordinance was passed in 1978 during the leadership of Mayor Ronald Duterte, there has been no record of any apprehension of violators, aside from a few who were only fined with P30.

Aside from the police, the City Hall Task Force Cancer will also apprehend violators of the said ordinance throughout the city. (FREEMAN)