ILOILO City – Three days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the outright ban on the public use and importation of electronic cigarettes, police apprehended at least seven violators across Western Visayas.
These smokers were collared while using vape in a public place, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) spokesperson Lieutenant Joem Malong said. Of the seven vape-ban apprehensions, three were recorded from Aklan province and four from this city, she added.
Malong said that these vapers were brought to a police station, recorded their name in the blotter and were released afterward.
“These violators were permitted to go home because we could not detain them. There is no specific criminal case to be filed against them,” Malong explained.
Malong added that PRO-6 director Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan also directed city and provincial directors down to police chiefs to get all the name of establishments that are selling e-cigarettes and vapes.
The police started their operation since Nov. 20 following President Durtere’s directive addressed to all police units nationwide to enforce the ban on use of vapes; ensure that all violators will be arrested and properly recorded in the police blotters; confiscated items are accounted for and disposed of properly; and coordinate with local government units and agencies, vape stores and owners to enhance the enforcement of the ban.
Malong is warning to all smokers of vapes and e-cigarettes to stop smoking especially in populated areas because it is hazardous to others who are not smoking.
“We have to continue arresting those smokers who will ignore the order of the president,” Malong added.
Duterte earlier said he is ordering the
ban on e-cigarettes as he likened vaping to smoking tobacco cigarettes, which
he earlier prohibited nationwide.
In response, the Philippine National Police already began its crackdown on
users and vendors of e-cigarettes but it clarified that violators will be
apprehended but will be release immediately after the incident is recorded in
police blotter.
“Wala namang detention or jail time, kaagad naman na sila ay palalayain,”
PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said in an interview with
DZMM.
On Friday, Duterte announced that e-cigarettes are already covered by a law that regulates the use of products with nicotine. He, however, did not mention the specific law.
The Chief Executive also justified his order to confiscate vaping devices as he cited the Article 15, Section B of Republic Act 7394, or Consumers’ Protection Act, which provides that “any consumer product, the sale or use of which has been banned or withdrawn in the country of manufacture, shall not be imported into the country.”/PN
