'Heavy' enforcement of smoking ban causes confusion at QC bar

MANILA, Philippines — The presence of police officers armed with rifles in front of a bar in Quezon City raised concerns among patrons and performers but district police said they were part of a standard operation to enforce ordinances in the city.

Posts about the heavily-armed officers had been circulating online over the weekend, with social media users saying it seemed excessive to bring rifles to enforce smoking and liquor bans.

He was among the performers at the bar, who was holding a gig that also doubled as the general assembly for Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA, or Artist Alliance for Genuine Agrarian Reform and Rural Development).

SAKA, in an online statement, said police arrived in front of the bar in the middle of a fundraising solidarity gig by musicians who were there to show support for the organization and to highlight farmers' issues.

"Ayon sa hepeng humarap sa amin, ang mahigit sandosenang pulis—may mahahabang armas pa ang ilan—na naka-bulletproof vest, kasama ng tatlo hanggang limang police mobile, ay naroon para damputin ang isang bisitang nakita nilang naninigarilyo sa tapat (According to the officer who talked to us, the more than a dozen police officers — some of whom had long arms — in bulletproof vests, with three to five police mobile patrol cars were there to pick up a guest seen smoking outside)," the group also said.

Twitter user @skinxbones, in an online exchange, told Philstar.com that the police vans arrived around 11:30 p.m. of July 14.

"They were saying it was because of the Quezon City ordinance, that it was not allowed to smoke or drink outside. It was excessive for whatever reason they were saying," he said.

A Facebook user named Kuro Chan, meanwhile, posted a live video of the police parked in front of the bar.

"I am very, very confused about the rules right now. There are too many cops and they are armed too heavily (to catch) smokers and loiterers," she said in Filipino in the caption of the video.

She said that the bar has been operating for three years and has always followed the rules. She said the bar is in constant coordination with barangay authorities and that they had been allowed to smoke under a big tree in front of the bar.

"That is what we were told, so we have always been confident about standing outside to smoke. Why was last night any different?" she also said in Filipino.

Executive Order No. 26, which was signed in 2017, restricts smoking to designated smoking areas that are at least 10 meters away "from entrances, exits, or any place where people where people pass or congregate, or in front of air intake ducts."

DSAs should also be clearly identified with signs, should have graphic health warnings on the effects of tobacco use, and should be for the exclusive use of adults. 

Local governments have also stepped up campaigns against those who violate ordinances, for example against loitering and being shirtless in public, despite concerns raised over the move, which has been described by critics as anti-poor.

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But @skinxbones said there may be more to it than just enforcing ordinances.

playing a show in catch272 later. entrance is free. pic.twitter.com/GqhzlDavsw

— ???????????????????????????????????????? (@skinxbones_) July 14, 2018

Because of the nature of the event, and of the organization that held it, discussions on labor issues, the president's upcoming State of the Nation Address, agrarian reform and the harassment of farmers were also on the program. 

"I guess that my point is, the police were not just there for a city ordinance," he said in Filipino.

Police: Operation was standard

However, according to the Quezon City Police District's Kamuning Station, the presence of police at the bar was part of Oplan Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Enforcement Operations (SACLEO), a regular police activity that is also done in other police districts.

"That's just natural. It would be natural for them to bring long arms," Ramilo Quirino, a radio operator at the station, said in Filipino. He added those detained during the operations are released the next day after being "verified." According to news reports on other SACLEOs, this means checking whether those apprehended have other pending cases.
    
Quirino said that 17 people were detained Saturday night: three violators of the nationwide smoking ban, nine apprehended for riding motorcycles without helmets, and five caught drinking in public.

He added that police officers on motorcycles are armed with M16 rifles since these are standard issue and are used whenever they go out at night. — Philstar intern Ali Ian Marcelino Biong