A TOTAL of 49 liquor ban violators and 23 smoking violators were apprehended by personnel of the Vices Regulation Unit (VRU) during their early morning operation on Sunday evening, May 24, 2026.
Authorities caught 49 individuals inside a bar along Anda Street past 2 a.m. in the city who were still drinking alcohol. The violators, including the establishment, were issued citations.
Meanwhile, 23 individuals caught smoking in public places across different areas of the city were also issued citations during the VRU’s patrol the other day.
Earlier, the VRU also issued citation tickets to 86 individuals on May 10 for violating the city’s liquor ban during an inspection conducted by VRU personnel.
About 67 of the ticketed individuals were caught inside a bar along V. Mapa Street in Davao City. The establishment also received a citation ticket for operating beyond the designated hours.
VRU reported that it was able to collect approximately P17,519,400 in fines for violations under the city’s Anti-Smoking and Liquor Ban ordinances in 2025, which is higher than its collection in 2024 of only P12 million.
VRU’s Jay Francia said that their office issued citation tickets to a total of 10,963 individuals caught violating the city’s anti-smoking ordinance, while 3,075 others were caught violating the city’s Liquor Ban.
VRU Jay Francia said that their office issued citation tickets to a total of 10,963 individuals caught violating the city’s anti-smoking ordinance, while 3,075 others were caught in violation of the city’s Liquor Ban.
“Makita nato nga dako ang gisaka sa atoang apprehension, but it does not mean nga nidaghan ang atoang violators. It only shows nga gipakusgan nato ang atoang efforts ug ang atoang campaign nga kanunay pag-monitor sa public places ug establishments,” he said in an interview with Davao CIO on January 23, 2026.
(We can see that our apprehensions have significantly increased, but it does not mean that the number of violators has also increased. It only shows that we have intensified our efforts and our campaign to continuously monitor public places and establishments.)
To recall, the 20th City Council approved the Revised Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance on April 16, 2024, and the amended Comprehensive Liquor Code on May 7, 2024, both proposed by Councilor Luna Acosta to protect minors and regulate alcohol and tobacco use.
Under the Anti-Smoking Ordinance, violators face fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 and will receive a citation ticket. Failure to pay incurs an additional fee of P100 per day per count. While for the revised liquor code, violators face fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 and may have their business permits revoked, in addition to imprisonment for up to one year. RGP
