Police apprehended a 21-year-old man in Lucena City, Quezon for allegedly using vape in a public place last Thursday, in what could be the earliest case of electronic cigarette-related arrest following President Duterte’s ban on e-cigarettes in public places.
A report reaching Camp Crame in Quezon City identified the arrested vaper as Marq Joseph Virtucio of West Employees Village, Barangay Gulang-Gulang, Lucena.
Police said Virtucio was using his vape a few blocks away from their house when the Lucena police station accosted him around 8:45 p.m.
“The violator’s electronic cigarette device was confiscated from his possession and he was brought to the Lucena CPS to be accounted and disposed appropriately,” the Lucena police said.
Virtucio has been released after undergoing documentation at the Lucena police detention center.
Meanwhile, 230 vape gadgets have been confiscated across Central Visayas since Duterte ordered the ban.
Though the President ordered the arrest of violators, no single person was detained as violators were only made to sign a document for the confiscated vape gadgets.
The seized vaping gadgets were displayed in Camp Sotero Cabahug during the Cebu City Police Office’s Police Service Anniversary yesterday.
Brig Gen. Valeriano de Leon, chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, attended the event.
“The confiscation is based on Executive Order 26 but we are still awaiting for further guidance from the higher ups on what to do with the confiscated vape paraphernalia,” said De Leon. (Martin Sadongdong and Calvin Cordova)
