Station chiefs ordered to identify pyro zones

Cebu City Police Office acting director Melvin Gayotin ordered police station chiefs to identify places in their areas safe enough to be considered "firecracker zones" for the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve revelries.

This order is in accordance with the Letter of Instructions from the PNP National Headquarters instructing all police units in the country to have a safe celebration of the holidays by implementing what was once referred to as "Iwas Paputok" program, and is now officially called "FOUR-mula Kontra Paputok" program.

Yesterday, only police stations of Parian and Mambaling have complied with the order while the rest are set to submit their own reports today being the deadline.

Each police station would coordinate with barangay officials under its jurisdiction to help them identify areas that are safe for residents to enjoy the fireworks without exposing them to danger.

Parian Police have identified the basketball court in front of the Parian Fire sub-station, Day-as chose the vacant lot at the back of the barangay hall, T. Padilla has chosen the road in front of the barangay hall.

Barangay Kamagayan picked the basketball court located in front of the Sto. Rosario church, while Lorega-San Miguel set the old abattoir as their pyro-zone.

Mambaling Police station, on the other hand, identified the South Road Properties as firecracker zone, as well as barangay sports complexes and vacant lots that are far from houses under their area of responsibility.

The LOI also ordered police units to see to it that no illegal firecrackers such as "pla-plas, baby dynamites" and "super lolos" are being sold or plied on the streets. These illegal firecrackers are those exceeding the given limit in sizes and gunpowder contents. Police said these illegal firecrackers could maim or, worse, kill a person.

Police units are also ordered to monitor and prevent people or anybody from firing their guns during the revelries and urged them to enforce the full strength of the law against those who will be caught violating such. - Edwin Ian Melecio