Mayor Isko hunts down stores illegally selling solvent

In light of the Manila City government’s stricter implementation of the curfew for minors, Mayor Isko Moreno will now go after stores selling solvent.

Moreno, in an ambush interview, said some of the minors rounded up for violating the 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew in Manila were "solvent boys" or street dwellers who sniff toluene-laden contact cement as a cheap alternative to get high and alleviate their hunger.

The mayor said he has already instructed the police to trace the sources of the solvent.

“We are going after any store, whether it is a medical store or hardware store. It doesn’t matter to us. Nagbenta kayo ng solvent. Selling those, you will be treated as dealers or pushers,” Moreno warned.

“Because it is a prohibited chemical. Hindi siya for construction,” he added.

Solvents have been declared by the government as a dangerous substance in 2009, and are prohibited from being sold over the counter unless they contains mustard oil, a sniffing deterrent. Solvents without mustard oil can only be purchased with a barangay clearance and an ID. — MDM, GMA News