DAVAO CITY – First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte, along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, filed House Bill No. 1753 which forbids access to alcoholic drinks by untrained people.

The measure, also known as the “Anti-Underage Drinking Act,” forbids those under the age of 21 and people who have physical or mental impairments from getting alcohol.

Rep. Duterte emphasized that alcohol is the third most crucial risk factor for bad health globally, contributing to an estimated 2.5 million fatalities annually, a substantial number of which are among the young.

First time violators, especially minors, will be brought to the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) for counseling.

Second time violators will be made to attend, together with their parents or guardian, two consecutive regular session of BCPC.

Third and subsequent offenders will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for appropriate counselling.

Businesses that break the legislation can potentially be fined P50,000 or put in jail for a maximum of three months. Frequent violators will also face revocation of their company license.