By Vanne Elaine Terrazola  Senator Francis Tolentino is bent on pushing for a total ban on the use and sale of electronic cigarettes and its products even the majority of his colleagues in the Senate are more inclined to pursue regulation and taxation. Sen. Francis Tolentino
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Tolentino reiterated that e-cigarettes, like vapes, should be prohibited in the country. But he admitted having little to no support from the 24-member Senate for his proposal to realize. "Ban ako, total ban ako (I'm for the ban of vaping, a total ban)," the neophyte senator raised in the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum in Manila Wednesday. "Parang ako na lang mag-isa sa Senate sa ban. Malungkot din pala (It appears that I am the only one in Senate pushing for the ban. I realize it's sad)," he told members of the media. Still, he said vaping, among other types of e-cigarettes, is not effective as a means to make smokers quit. He earlier filed a bill proposing a total ban on the use, sale and manufacture of e-cigarettes and its products as a "preventive" measure. "Subsititute daw sa regular cigarettes, nakakita ka na ba ng mga senior citizens na naninigralyo dati nagve-vape na ngayon (They say its a substitute for regular cigarettes, but have you seen a senior citizen smoker now using vape)? 20 percent lang ang nagshishift sa vape, at 'yong mga nagvevape eventually maga-graduate sa regular smoking (Only 20 percent of smokers shift to vaping, and those who are now vaping will eventually use regular cigarettes)," he claimed. He also maintained that e-cigarettes should not be included in the bill seeking an increase in excise taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco products. "Ang sinasabi ko, bakit pa natin itatax, eh di pa natin nareregulate (What I am saying is why would we tax e-cigarettes when we have not regulated it yet)?" he said recalling his interpellation on the Sin Tax Bill sponsored by Sen. Pia Cayetano. Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday said the Upper Chamber will discuss legislation seeking to regulate e-cigarettes on January next year, to address supposed complaints from smokers who want to quit through vaping. The Sin Tax Bill, he believed, would also be giving the government some sort of regulatory authority over e-cigarettes. The Senate hopes to pass the Sin Tax Bill on third and final reading before the year ends.