Belly's Grill Customers Still Violating Anti Smoking Ordinance

City Hall should act fast or be the laughing stock of the country for boasting about a non-smoking law that is not being implemented and is being violated even by the police, the very people who are supposed to implement it.

Implementers of the anti-smoking law should closely watch Belly's Grill, a restaurant along Quirino Avenue as well as other establishments in the city for tolerating customers who are violating the law. Owner Mr. Haw has already placed two signs in the open air portion of the establishment indicating that "This establishment is SMOKE FREE". However, clients just ignore the sign and smoke in the premises anyway.

Just last Saturday, two people (male and female) in a group who had children with them went near the playground for children and smoked there in full display of kids and other customers. When asked, the waiter said they are just tolerating the customers because they would not believe them. Also, one waiter said "Parang pulis man kasi yung kasama nila kasi me bukol sa gilid." In fairness to the person with the suspected gun on the side, he was not the one smoking but his companions. And if it is indeed true that he was a member of the PNP then he should have had the decency to tell his friends to follow the law and stop smoking in public.

Davao City's Non-Smoking Law A Farce?

Davao City joined the ranks of several European countries when the city government imposed a non-smoking rule on public areas and strictly regulated establishments with smoking areas. However, the hype created by the city's non-smoking regulation may just be a farce, with more establishments now allowing smoking in public without following the law to the letter.

The recent PLDT MyDSL affair and Kadayawan expo in Market! Market! in Damosa is a ase in point. A lot of people were smoking inside the tents unmindful of the presence of children inside and well, the existence of the no-smoking law. This happened within the "seeing" distance of various Philippine National Police officers. I even told one policeman "manong di ba bawal and smoking sa public places bakit yang mga taong yan di mo hinuhuli?" Smokers even abound inside the Market!Market especially the side near the parking area where there are restaurant stalls.

Another example of an establishment with very liberal smoking rules is Belly's Grill in Quirino. This is the place where the Sunday Riders usually hold their meetings but they usually disallow other customers in the open-air area when the Sunday Riders meet there. Belly's Grill is divided into two areas: the air conditioned area and the open air area where kids usually gather because it has a playground.

I asked the waitress why they allow customers to smoke there in the open-air area (but still with a roof) when there are plenty of kids around and with the non-smoking law in existence. She replied " sabi ng may ari pwede man daw mam!" One customer even had the gall to sit in one of slides where the kids are playing and smoke there. We told him to back off since there were plenty of kids there. Later on, the waiters started telling the smokers to just smoke near the grilling area.

Davao City's tennis courts are also not shielded from smokers. One example is the tennis court in SIR Matina where smokers smoke wantonly even with kids present and even when inside the club house. I caught one smoker and called 911 immediately. That was 9AM. I waited until 3PM but no 911 came. Sayang naman and budget nyo!

This is absurd. And Davao City's non-smoking ordinance is not just absurd, It is also a FARCE!