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[av_heading heading=’7 Bacolod ‘in transit’ smokers arrested ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) arrested seven violators of City Ordinance (CO) No. 641, or the Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance.
The offenders were on board public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the downtown area on Tuesday, BTAO head Luisito Acebuche said.
The BTAO is allowed to arrest only anti-smoking ordinance violators on board PUVs, Acebuche explained.
Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on laws, said the Bacolod Anti-Smoking Task Force (BASTF) and the City Legal Office are in charge of areas not covered by the BTAO.
Some offenders told BTAO personnel they were unaware of the ordinance and they had no money for the fine, Acebuche said.
Those who were unable to immediately pay the fine signed a waiver in the tickets BTAO personnel issued to them, indicating they will pay the fine within 72 hours.
Failure to pay the fine may lead to the filing of charges against the violators, Acebuche said.
Under CO No. 641, violators shall be fined P500 on first offense, P1,000 on second offense, and P2,500 and/or a 30-day imprisonment on third offense.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia revived the BASTF through Executive Order No. 22.
CO No. 784 series of 2016 amended CO No. 614, enhancing the functions of the BASTF.
In Negros Occidental, Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. suggested tripling the taxes on tobacco products to effectively curb smoking. He also vowed to ban smoking in all provincial government facilities./PN
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