Noy wants tougher laws on firecrackers

Phl braces for bloody New Year

MANILA, Philippines - As more firecracker-related injuries were reported yesterday, President Aquino ordered law enforcement agencies and other concerned officials to draw up more stringent rules in implementing laws against the manufacture and sale of powerful firecrackers.

The presidential order was issued to Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rafael Santos and agencies under the DILG – the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

This developed as the Philippines braces for its annual New Year’s Eve merrymaking that leaves hundreds of people maimed by firecrackers or shot by bullets fired in the air by revelers.

Fireworks have injured at least 164 people since the Christmas weekend, half of them in Metro Manila, while a stray bullet, according to the health department, wounded one person.

The government reported 454 firecracker-related injuries from hospitals across the country as 2012 was welcomed.Many of the victims were children and drunk adults who ignored government warnings.

The briefing that Aquino presided over yesterday at Malacañang was also attended by the Department of Health (DOH), represented by Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa, and the Presidential Communications Group of Secretaries Sonny Coloma and Ricky Carandang.

Gauging from the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras hinted Aquino wants a tougher law to Republic Act 7183 that currently regulates the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

“I think the DOH, PNP, DILG will be putting together some suggestions on how we can enhance some of the existing laws, especially that on confiscation, the whole issue,” he told Palace reporters.

The main objective is to avoid any more casualties and injuries during the New Year revelry, which fortunately has been decreasing in previous years with the aggressive TV campaign of the risks of using high-powered firecrackers.

Chief Inspector Renato Marcial, who spoke on behalf of the BFP, said they have launched an intensified campaign against the use of firecrackers, primarily because they are also the sources of fires, particularly sky lanterns that they want banned.

“It will do no good to health, safety and environment, specially the sky lanterns, that should really be banned,” he reiterated.

During the briefing, Aquino cited Quezon City that implemented a ban on the sale of firecrackers along sidewalks, which resulted in the low turnout of firecracker-related incidents, like injuries or casualties.

“The President said that such good experiences must be shared with other local government units that have been successful in addressing the problem with those that have not yet been able to institute measures,” Almendras said.

Almendras said the meeting was preemptive in nature and that Aquino only wanted to remind government personnel – particularly those who discharge their firearms indiscriminately during New Year’s eve – that this is a year-round campaign.

Aquino expressed concern over the sale of oversized firecrackers, and chastised officials at the meeting for failing to shut down factories making and retailers and selling them.

Aquino met with emergency services officials on government preparations for mass casualties, fires, and other potential mayhem from the often drunken revelry.

Firecracker zones set up

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has established 258 firecracker zones in Metro Manila in a bid to reduce firecracker injuries during the New Year’s Eve revelry.

The NCRPO also placed tapes on the muzzles of the service firearms of its 18,000-strong police force in the metropolis, intensified the campaign against illegal firecrackers and arrested and charged a security guard and six civilians for indiscriminately firing their handguns.

NCRPO chief Director Leonardo Espina encouraged residents to use the firecracker zones in welcoming the New Year, not only to lessen accidents but also to prevent injuries.

Espina said the firecracker zones would be fully secured by the NCRPO in cooperation with the local government units of the concerned areas.

Senior Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., chief of the NCRPO’s operation division, said the Northern Police District had the most number of firecracker zones with 107, followed by the Manila Police District with 46.

The Southern and Quezon City Police Districts have 45 each while the Eastern Police District with 15.

Ramos said the NCRPO also intensified their campaign against illegal firecrackers. Last week several operations were conducted but no powerful firecrackers, like the Gangnam boom, Pacquiao and goodbye bading, were confiscated.

Among the firecrackers seized by the NCRPO were piccolo, watusi, 5-star, pla-pla, Judas belt, happy ball, dancing dragon, sparklers, steel beauty, giant trompillo, mabuhay rainbow, Roman candle, bawang and dragon blooming flower.

Meanwhile, a one-year-old boy from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan ingested a piccolo firecracker.

Health authorities said the mother found the young boy holding a piccolo with some pieces of the firecracker in his mouth.

“The boy apparently picked up the firecracker that was accidentally dropped by his eight-year-old cousin.”

Data from the DOH showed that as of 6 a.m. yesterday, some 173 cases were recorded from government hospitals nationwide.

DOH said the figure was 20 percent lower compared to the cases recorded during the same period last year.

Majority or 86 of the cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR) while Western Visayas reported the second biggest number with 16, followed by Region 9 and 4 with nine each.

DOH-NCR director Eduardo Janairo advised parents to immediately clean up the remnants of fireworks in their areas to prevent more injuries.

“Avoid stepping on and picking up lighted and discharged fireworks as they may still explode in your feet or hand. Use a rake or a broom with long handle in sweeping fireworks remains.” Janairo said. With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran, Mayen Jaymlain