Members of the Manila Police District on Tuesday roamed around the University belt once again, this time to the surprise of cigarette vendors in Morayta and R. Papa Street within the vicinity of Far Eastern University after confiscating packs of cigarettes being sold publicly in the area. The police and the members of the Manila Health Department reminded the vendors of the existing law which is Republic Act 9211 otherwise known as the act regulating the packaging, use, sale, distribution and advertisement of tobacco product.
Section 10 of the said law clearly states:
Sale of Tobacco Products Within School Perimeters -
The sale or distribution of tobacco products is prohibited within one hundred (100) meters from any point of the perimeter of a school, public playground or other facility frequented particularly by minors.
While the law has been in existence since June 22, 2003 (Yes! exactly 7 years already) there was poor to no implementation of the same at all – As any student from the University Belt can attest to the fact that every single day of their college life, they can buy a piece of cigarette almost everywhere just outside the premises of their school.
Could this be another case of ‘ningas-kugon’ as we start a new school year? or perhaps ‘pakitang-gilas’ in the coming of a new (Noynoy Aquino) administration? No one knows for sure but either way, this just goes to show how lame is our government in enforcing many of the laws we had – special mention to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health which are the concerned agencies of RA 9211.
Details of the confiscation outside FEU on 24 Oras & TV Patrol video below!
