By Zaldy Comanda
BAGUIO CITY – The city government earned P2.4 million so far this year from fines paid by arrested violators of the city’s smoking ordinance.
Baguio City (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Dr. Donnabal Tubera, medical officer of the City Health Services Office, reported data from the city’s smoke free task force showed a total of 3,944 individuals and 309 establishments apprehended for violation of the comprehensive smoking ordinance that took effect last year.
Only 2,081 individuals and 129 establishments paid fines, other violators chose to render community service and a good number of them refused to pay the fines.
Tubera noted a significant improvement in the compliance of the no-smoking ordinance, although there is still a need to sustain awareness-raising and barangay-based enforcement of the rules and regulations.
She said most of the apprehended individuals who continue to evade settling their fines are from the city, while those who are willing to settle their fines are visitors who do not want unnecessary delays in their stay in the city and in going back to their places of origin.
Apprehended individuals and owners of establishments will be sent demand letters in coordination with the city prosecutor’s office, apprising them of the charges they could face.
Individuals caught violating the ordinance will be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second and P5,000 and possible jail time for the third.
Establishment owners who violate the ordinance face a fine of P2,000, P3,000 and P5,000 for the first, second and third offenses, respectively.