DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) intensified operations against smokers following President Rodrigo Duterte's signing of an executive order on nationwide anti-smoking policy last May 16.
Senior Inspector Maria Theresita Gaspan, DCPO spokesperson, said that DCPO already apprehended 3,204 violators from May 1 to May 22 from its 12 police stations in Davao City.
"Our police officers have been accomplishing their duty with the ordinance 24/7 since the day our President signed the executive order," Gaspan said.
She said Anti-Smoking Task Force officers apprehend 25 to 30 violators a day with Sasa and Talomo police stations having the highest number of violators arrested.
The penalties, Gaspan said, depend on the number of times an individual has been cost. Most, however, are first-timers and were thus obliged to pay P500 and attend a smoking cessation counseling provided by task force.
She added that failure to comply with the penalties will mean judicial action.
"We hope everyone becomes educated about the existing anti-smoking ordinance and becomes obedient to the law in order to lessen the numbers of violators," Gaspan said. (BSC)