DILG chief Año says Palace to release EO on vape ban

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said Malacañang would release an executive order to regulate vape products in the Philippines.

“Ngayong araw, maglalabas ng EO ang Malacañang regarding the regulations on the use of vape. The President really wanted not only [to ban] the use of vape but even the selling of vape,” Año told reporters in Marikina City.

The DILG chief said he would issue a memorandum circular to local government units once the executive order has been released.

“Paglabas nitong EO na hinihintay natin, maglalabas tayo ng memorandum circular kung saan ay ipaguutos natin sa ating mga LGU na magpalabas ng ordinansa sa pagpapatupad ng executive order,” Año said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered law enforcers to arrest individuals who are vaping in public.

According to Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa, the arrested individuals will be released after police blotters are filed. 

For his part, lawyer Domingo Cayosa, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, said Friday that nabbed vape users may challenge their arrest because the basis being used by authorities only covers conventional tobacco cigarettes.

“[K]ung meron mang mga agrabyado diyan pwede naman nila kwestyunin ang applicability niyan sa ating mga korte sapagkat malinaw po ang prinsipyo ng batas. If it's penal in nature, it will be strictly construed in favor of the citizen,” Cayosa said.

“[H]indi malinaw kung yan ay sakop niyan yung vaping sapagkat yung EO na yan at yung batas, ang subject matter niyan tobacco,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News