Duterte won't sign smoking ban yet

Amid reports that he is ready to sign the Department of Health's executive order banning smoking in public areas, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked for "enough time" to study the proposal.

In an interview with reporters in Malacañang, Duterte indicated that he could not simply apply nationwide a similar measure that was passed in Davao City. When he was mayor, the Davao City council passed an ordinance prohibiting establishments from designating indoor smoking areas.

"I’m sounding off… I’m measuring the resistance. So whether I can compromise. For example, smoking areas inside building. We did… we did not adopt in our ordinance because ganoon din papasok. So but there are a lot of dynamics there. So just give me enough time to study," he said.

"I am supposed to sign it this week, as submitted by [Health] Secretary [Paulyn] Ubial. She wants to hurry the measure but I said Davao is different from all the rest of the—So I have to be very careful in trying to navigate the way how I can present it to the public," he added.

Duterte said that he will consider views of medical experts when he studies the EO.

"For example, I’d need the pronouncements, not really the opinion, the pronouncements of our medical sector. And they should be also in the forefront of this because they know the benefits of totally banning smoking inside," he said.

While the DOH is pushing for no smoking indoors, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo argued that the Republic Act No. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 allows smoking inside a building. —JST, GMA News