DAVAO CITY – The city’s Vices Regulation Unit (VRU) has recorded an increase in the number of apprehensions for the anti-smoking and liquor bans in 2023 compared to the previous year.
In an interview Friday, VRU officer-in-charge Hernando Las said they apprehended 8,091anti-smoking ordinance violators last year, compared to the 6,173 in 2022.
Liquor ban apprehensions also rose from 1,440 in 2022 to 1,647 in 2023.
“We will continue to conduct apprehensions, with the help of the police, which has also been providing citation tickets,” Las said.
For anti-smoking citation tickets, the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) collected PHP7.7 million in 2023, which is higher than the PHP5.7 million the previous year.
Likewise, liquor ban violations resulted in CTO collection of PHP3.3 million in 2023, higher than the PHP3 million in 2022.
The CTO total collection from violators of anti-smoking, liquor ban and sobriety ordinance, certification of fees for designated smoking areas, and permits to sell cigarettes totaled PHP12.1 million in 2023, higher than the PHP9.1 collected in 2022.
Penalties for anti-smoking violations are PHP1,000 for the first offense, PHP2,000 for the second offense, and PHP5,000 and imprisonment for the third offense.
For liquor ban violations, the penalty is PHP3,000 for the first offense, PHP5,000 for the second offense, and PHP5,000 plus imprisonment for the third offense. (PNA)
