NEED FOR CLEAN AIR

by: Chita de la Cruz-Heap

A public hearing was held in SP Session Hall on Wednesday November 3rd to discuss the proposed ordinance for the Regulation of Smoking in Public Places. The discussion included Public conveyances, advertisements, Promotions and Sponsorships of Tobacco Products, together with the determination of Penalties for the contravention of such regulations in accordance with the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and its rules of implementation.

The said proposal was authored by the Honorable Selwyn C. Ibarreta, together with all of the SP members as co authors.

People from different walks of life attended the meeting. including members of the Academe (DepEd), and non civic organizations such as the Kool Earth, Aklan Medical Society, the Rotary Club, and Toastmasters International. These groups expressed their strong support to the implementation of this proposed law.

Concerns about the implementation of this law were expressed by one attendee who pointed out that that this law had been introduced in 2003, and yet local authorities have remained reluctant to implement these laws.

The people of Aklan appear to be losing faith in those whose duty it is to implement the law. Most of those attending the meeting concurred with PNP officer Nacion when he said that he hoped that all of this talk was not simply ‘Ningas Kugon’.

Some said that proposing a law like this was just a game because nothing was really achieved. Such discussion keeps the SP members busy when they meet and gives them something to talk about, but nothing is delivered. So many laws have already been passed, and those that have been pushed through have proved ineffective since they were not enforced and followed up.

Filipinos are very much like children. They need to be reminded of what they have to do each day, and this also applies to our law makers too. What is needed is ‘less talk and more work!’

One might question if those whose duty it is to apply the law actually understand what they are doing. Perhaps the problem is that they are afraid to step on the toes of their colleagues and friends by imposing their political will.

We do not need rigid laws to discipline our community. It is in fact the lawmakers who must discipline themselves so that their actions can become a guiding light to their people. It is not enough to turn around and say “Do as I say and not as I do”./TE