Firecracker victims reach 21

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-one cases of firecracker-related injuries had been recorded nationwide as of yesterday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag noted that from 6 a.m. of Dec. 21 to 5 a.m. yesterday, there were 21 fireworks-related injuries recorded by the agency’s National Epidemiology Center.

Tayag added that 12 of the cases were due to “piccolo.”

The DOH had reiterated its warning to the public to prevent children from playing with piccolo, now the leading cause of firecracker-related injuries.

In its Injury Registry for the “Iwas Paputok” campaign, the DOH has reminded parents, elder siblings and guardians not to let children get hold of piccolo, since it is a banned firecracker.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona earlier had warned the public that while piccolo may appear harmless, it was the leading cause of firecracker injuries in the previous New Year celebrations.

Ona has asked parents and guardians to keep a tight rein on their children so they would not be able to play with firecrackers.

He also said that if the elderly could not avoid using firecrackers, they should be responsible enough not to throw them randomly, sometimes hitting innocent passers-by.

Based on the Injury Registry from Dec. 21, 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013, there were 931 revelry-related injuries. Of this, 904 were due to firecrackers while 25 were from stray bullets and two from firecracker ingestion.

A total of 236 of the injuries involved children and were caused by piccolo, followed by unknown firecrackers with 143; kwitis with 128; five-star with 55 and pla-pla, 42.

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy was killed while his companion was seriously injured when three makeshift firecracker stalls in front of the public plaza of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, were destroyed by fire shortly after midnight last Saturday.

Superintendent Leo Batiles, Escalante police chief, identified the fatality as Jomar Palo and the injured as Rodrigo Bayotas, 35, who were both sleeping inside one of the firecracker stalls owned by Wilfredo Bayotas when the fire occurred.

Batiles said according to witnesses, three youths were lighting firecrackers near the stalls when the blaze started.

There were also reports that somebody threw a lighted firecracker in the area and triggered a series of explosions.

Responding members of the Escalante police and Bureau of Fire and Protection assisted in the evacuation of people and the dismantling of the makeshift firecracker stalls in the area to prevent the blaze from spreading.

Batiles said they recovered two sacks of firecrackers from two youths who allegedly looted several stalls during the confusion.                          

Stray bullets

A day before Christmas, police recorded two victims of stray bullets in Metro Manila and Central Mindanao, a police official said.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, spokesman for the office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said both victims, whose identities were not immediately disclosed, were injured.

PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima ordered all policemen to intensify efforts to prevent any indiscriminate firing while police were instructed to muzzle the barrel of their firearms with tape to ensure that officers will not fire their guns during the holidays.

Mayor said police arrested nine people for the sale and use of illegal firecrackers in Eastern Visayas, the Ilocos region, Southern Tagalog, and Western Visayas.

Mayor also said a total of P70,000 worth of illegal firecrackers have been confiscated.

Illegal firecrackers include watusi, piccolo, mother rockets, pillbox, boga, big judas belt, bawang kabasi and witon, among others. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Danny Dangcalan