Mandaue mall violates firecracker sale policy?

CEBU, Philippines – Police in Mandaue City lamented that their efforts to go after individuals and establishments selling firecrackers during the holidays turned futile after it was found out that an establishment in the city was able to sell the same.

The police were supposed to enforce the law after the city, in coordination with the Mandaue City Fire Protection and the Mandaue City Police, has declared that there is a “no firecracker designated zone” in the city .

However, last December 28, Subangdaku Police chief Senior Inspector Miguel Andeza said they  were supposed to confiscate firecrackers that are being sold within their area of jurisdiction but they were only able to confiscate firecrackers being sold by individuals after a mall was able to present to them a permit allowing them to sell pyrotechnics and firecrackers.

Andeza said they failed to confiscate the firecrackers being sold by Parkmall after the attendants who were selling such items presented to him a permit from the Firearms Explosives Security Service Agency and  Guards Supervisory Section of the Police Regional Office-7 and the Mandaue City government .

Lawyer Jamaal James Calipayan, the executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, clarified that since the city has declared a “no firecracker zone,” they never granted any permit to sell the firecrackers.

He said what the city has issued to the three malls in the city were only for the permits allowing them to sell pyrotechnics and the sale should not also be done inside the mall but only outside the premises of the mall to avoid any untoward incident which could pose danger to life.

He reiterated that no permits were given by the city to sell firecrackers.

In fact, he added that their permits cannot even be valid if they could not also secure permits from the BFP and the PNP which they are supposed to also submit to the city’s permit section.

Considering that the last day of government office was only until December 29, Calipayan said he was not aware if these establishments were indeed able to secure permits for the sale of pyrotechnics from both BFP and PNP and whether they were able to submit it to the city’s permit section.

The police found out that Parkmall has been selling both pyrotechnics and  firecrackers.  Calipayan said he immediately sent “supplemental permits” to the three malls in the city which were granted with permits to sell them.

The said supplemental permit, according to Calipayan, has prohibited these malls to sell pyrotechnics unless it  will be done to “multi-media presentation” in accordance to the memo-circular of DILG .

He explained that in the said supplemental permit sent to these three malls “ he reiterated to them the provisions stipulated in the said DILG memo with regard to the regulations on the sale.

“All malls and other similar establishments shall not be utilized as display centers for selling firecrackers and pyrotechnics unless done through media presentations or other means, not necessarily displaying the said firecrackers therein.”

It was learned from Andeza yesterday that when they came to check back at Parkmall last Tuesday, the stall outside their mall which was selling both firecrackers and pyrotechnics, were already covered with cloth and if one would like to buy these stuffs, they will just look at the TV screen on the items that they would like to buy.