Police seize230 vaping devices

CEBU, Philippines — The Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 has accounted more than 200 confiscated e-cigarettes from the different police stations, following the president’s order to ban its usage in public places.

In a press conference, the PRO-7 had presented a total of 230 confiscated e-cigarettes from the 222 police operations leading to the apprehension of 184 violators, as of Friday morning.

Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon told reporters that the basis on their confiscation is categorized under Executive Order No. 26 that prohibits individuals from smoking in public places.

Based on the collated data, the Cebu City Police Office has the highest number of confiscated vapes with 95, followed by Cebu Provincial Police Office with 74, Lapu-Lapu Police Office with 30, Bohol Provincial Police Office with 20, Mandaue City Police Office had seven, while the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office with four confiscated vapes.

“Magde-destruct tayo nito kasi hindi naman natin ito maiki-keep forever, and no one should benefit from it already kasi kinumpiska na ito ng gobyerno,” De Leon said.

At present, De Leon said that their task will stick in getting the data of the confiscated vapes and will just await the further instructions from the national headquarters.

“Sa ngayon nanawagan tayo sa publiko na igalang ng mga establisyemento at igalang ang mga karapatan ng mga ibang tao na nasa public places at wag namang gumamit ng cigarettes at e-cigarettes in public places,” De Leon emphasized.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the PRO-7 has also presented 204 loose firearms confiscated.

About 75 percent of the confiscated firearms were from the hinterland barangays around Cebu City, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy A. Korret of the Cebu City Police Office City Mobile Force Company (CCPO-CMFC).

Korret said that confiscating loose firearms around the hinterland barangays were easier, rather than in the urban barangays.

The confiscated firearms were from their operations that started around August until present, he said.

De Leon, for his part, said the confiscated short and high-powered firearms will be decommissioned to avoid ‘possible pilferage into the hands of rogue individuals’.  GAN (FREEMAN)