After Bello comment on Smoking ban EO, Sasot challenges him to go to SC

Academic and former House Rep. Walden Bello recently commented on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order banning smoking in public places nationwide calling it a step towards dictatorship, Social media activist Sass Sasot challenged him to go to the Supreme Court.

Composite Photos from Facebook, Twitter

Bello, a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines, through his Facebook account called the motion “one more step towards dictatorship”, adding that civil society groups hailing the ban will end up regretting it.

Bello said that while the ends is good, the means is wrong. He added that he too was a former smoker,  and while he favors tough restrictions on smoking, “this is not something that one imposes via executive order”, rather the Congress legislates it.

He said that if Duterte gets away with this, more and more areas of public life will be open to being covered by EO’s.

Sasot in response, challenged Bello to head to the Supreme Court to air his concerns.

“If you think that the Executive Order to ban smoking in public places is an abuse of executive power, I challenge you to file a case at the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality. This is your chance, the historical defining moment of your life, to stop dictatorship on its tracks,” she said through her Facebook page, For the Motherland.

She however, also challenged Bello to look into the following laws.

First, she mentioned RA 8749 Philippine Clean Air Act prohibits smoking inside enclosed public places including public vehicles, and then RA 9211 - Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 - prohibits smoking in certain public places.

On Bello’s statement that people will end up regretting supporting the action, Sasot said:

“Why would people regret a measure to save their lungs?”

SOURCE: For the Motherland by Sass Sasot

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