Congress urged to consider total ban on firecrackers

MANILA, Philippines - The number of people injured due to firecrackers and stray bullets rose to 244 a day before New Year’s Eve, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

Dismayed over the continuing increase in firecracker injuries, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said it is up to lawmakers and other stakeholders to consider a total ban on firecrackers.

“We have to seriously consider and discuss in Congress a total ban because more and more people are getting injured,” Ona said in a telephone interview.

He said if Davao City was able to implement a total ban on fireworks, the entire country could do the same.

The health chief stressed the need to amend Republic Act 7183 or the law regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic items.

The DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC) said the number of revelry-related injuries increased to 244 as of 6 a.m. yesterday from 192 cases on Sunday.

Of this figure, 238 people sustained wounds from fireworks, five were hit by stray bullets and only one ingested a firecracker.

DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said that of the 238 firecracker injuries, 153 or 64 percent were due to the banned piccolo.

Tayag said the figure surpasses the 188 reported injuries in the same period last year.

Based on NEC’s Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction registry, the 244 cases are 43 percent higher than the five-year average from 2008 to 2012, and 56 cases more than the same period last year.

Metro Manila accounted for 120 cases. The ages of the victims range from one to 65 years and 207 are males.

Tayag said they are bracing for an increase in fireworks-related injuries in this New Year’s revelry.

He said this year’s celebrations might be worse than last year where 931 people were injured from firecrackers and stray bullets.

“At this rate, it may be difficult to reverse the rising cases but we are not losing hope. With the help of the media, we are doing last minute campaign to dissuade the public from using fireworks in welcoming the New Year,” he added.

The DOH earlier identified 34 areas in Metro Manila considered “most dangerous for fireworks.”

Indiscriminate firing

Police have stepped up the campaign against indiscriminate firing of guns and selling of banned firecrackers in Metro Manila to reduce the number of casualties during the New Year revelry.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria ordered his 38 station commanders yesterday to deploy two police teams in going after those who will use their guns in welcoming the New Year.

Valmoria said this is to prevent another case of Stephanie Nicole Ella, who was killed by a stray bullet while watching fireworks in Caloocan City last year.

Ella’s case remains unsolved.

Valmoria said uniformed policemen would be patrolling the streets of Metro Manila to ensure the safety of its 12 million residents.

As of yesterday, the NCRPO recorded five cases of stray bullet incidents. A man was arrested for indiscriminately firing his gun.

The NCRPO chief also ordered his five district directors to coordinate with local government units for the establishment of designated firecracker zones to prevent firecracker injuries.

‘Piccolo is most dangerous’

Piccolo is still the most dangerous firecracker, based on a survey conducted by the police from different hospitals in Cavite, police said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Joselito Esquivel, Cavite police director, said at least 20 people suffered injuries from the banned firecracker.

Police said three persons – Percival Topacio, 38, Elmer Saliva, 43 and Conrado Saliva, 53 – were arrested for manufacturing illegal firecrackers in Barangay Malagasang, Imus City on Sunday.

Firecracker stores closed

A number of firecracker stores in Bocaue, Bulacan, considered as the country’s fireworks capital, remain closed yesterday after the owners failed to secure permits.

Chief Superintendent Louie Oppus, director of the Philippine National Police-Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), said his office rejected some requests for permit to manufacture and sell firecrackers due to safety reasons.

“They are to required to secure permit from the local government units (LGUs) before we issue FEO permit,” Oppus told The STAR.

 â€“ With Non Alquitran, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rhodina Villanueva, Eva Visperas, Jack Castaño