The Police Regional Office (PRO)-CALABARZON recorded 139 firecracker injuries and other related incidents from the period Dec. 16, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018, down 39 percent from 229 incidents covering the same period the previous year.
However, the incident on indiscriminate firing had increased from two last year to six incidents this year, and that there were no reported police personnel involved in the incidents.
“The decrease of firecracker incidents could be attributed on the intensified campaign of the government especially the Philippine National Police in cooperation with other agencies such as the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and other concerned agencies,” said PRO-CALABARZON Director Chief Supt. Ma. O R Aplasca.
Piccolo was still the most prevalent firecracker recorded to have injured most of the victims.
“Pinapasalamatan din naming ang aming mga kababayan na nakiisa at sumuporta sa aming pinaigting na kampanya. Kung hindi rin po sa kanilang kooperasyon ay hindi po naming mapapababa ng malaki ang aming datos (We also thanked the public for their unified support to our intensified campaign. Without their cooperation, we would not have lessened the number of incidents),” Aplasca added.
He also reported that firecrackers amounting to PHP 215,850 were confiscated during the conduct of checkpoints and other police operations against selling and use of illegal firecrackers.
He cited in particular the confiscation of assorted illegal firecrackers during a joint police operation conducted on December 29 in San Pablo City, Laguna, where four Chinese nationals were arrested for trading a huge assortment of illegal firecrackers. —Saul Pa-a/PNA
