BY FELIPE CELINO

ROXAS City — A councilor here challenged law enforcers to strictly implement the city’s Anti-Smoking Ordinance.

During the City Council’s session Tuesday, Councilor Powell del Rosario proposed to increase the penalty stipulated in the anti-smoking ordinance.

Ordinance No. 22-94 was authored by former councilor now Provincial Board member Eduardo Magallanes.

Section 2 of the ordinance states: “The penalties of the violation thereof will be: first offense, P50; second offense, P100; third offense, P200; fourth offense, P300, or imprisonment upon discretion of the court.”

Public officials, who were supposed to set an example, were also the ones violating the law, del Rosario lamented.

“I have observed that the implementation of the law is not being taken seriously by the populace. This is probably because smoking continues to be popular with so many people, including (public) officials,” he said.

Del Rosario, chair of the Committee on Police Matters, said he will also propose penalizing owners of establishments allowing smoking in their premises.

“We must take care of ourselves and of our country. I challenge the officials concerned to strongly impose the ordinance,” said del Rosario.

“This is not a request; this is the command of law,” he stressed.

Del Rosario said smoking should be — once and for all — banned all public areas.