BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO, NYARIKA DOMANAIS & MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – All police chiefs in this city were ordered to closely monitor pyrotechnic shops and the public to prevent the sale and use of banned firecrackers.
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Colonel Joeresty Coronica also cautioned the general public against using banned firecrackers or buying from unlicensed manufacturers and unregistered dealers or retailers to ensure safety ahead of the New Year celebration.
The warning came after the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) of the Philippine National Police released the list of prohibited firecrackers. This list aims to regulate and monitor manufacturing, sale and use, and to reduce firecracker-related injuries during the revelries.
“We don’t want anyone hurt while celebrating the New Year. Tama ka delikado mga palupok; that’s why may gina-ban ang FEO, and we have to obey for safety reasons,” Coronica told Panay News.
Here is the list of banned firecrackers: watusi, poppop, five-star, pla-pla, piccolo, giant bawang, goodbye bading, goodbye Philippines, atomic bomb, super lolo, lolo thunder, kwiton, hello Columbia, Juda’s belt, giant whistle bomb, atomic triangle, goodbye delima, mother rocket, goodbye Napoles, coke-in-can, super Yolanda, pillbox, Bin Laden, kabasi, and boga.
The ICPO told the public to, if possible, use alternative noisemakers to avoid injuries.
“May mga nautod ang kamot, for example, sa palupok; may ara nga nagmaoy tungod nga nasobrahan sa inom; so indi naton ma-realize ang aton handum nga iselebrar ang Bag-ong Tuig nga may kalipay kag mangin masadya kon may ara nga mga sablag nga matabu sa aton,” said Coronica in a separate radio interview.
Coronica said that while the PNP campaigns to reduce firecracker-related injuries, illegal firecracker-related violations will still have corresponding consequences.
It is stated that firecrackers should contain a maximum of 0.3 grams or 1/3 teaspoon of gunpowder; anything exceeding this is considered illegal.
Based on Republic Act 7183, known as the Firecrackers Law, violators may face fines between P20,000 and P30,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year.
“We need everyone’s cooperation for safety. Let us celebrate safely and securely, using alternative noise-makers to avoid injuries and risks to personal lives and public safety. Huwag na subukan, baka ikaw ay magsisi sa huli,” Coronica added.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) deployed maximum personnel to ensure the general public’s safety.
“As much as possible, we have to lower the number of firecracker victims this year. May iba pang paraan para mag-celebrate ng New Year, hindi lang sa paputok,” said Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, PRO-6 director./PN
