A customer looks over the firecrackers sold in one of several stalls at the Opon-Airport-Sangi Road in this December 2013 photo (CDN FILE PHOTO)
FIRECRACKER-related injuries incurred in the aftermath of the New Year revelry in Central Visayas dropped by half last Dec. 31, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said yesterday.
From 67 cases in 2015, only 33 persons were reportedly injured by the firecrackers they lit up to welcome 2017, said Supt. Arnel Banzon, deputy chief of the Police Regional Operations and Plans Division.
He credited this to a successful government campaign that discouraged the public from lighting up firecrackers to celebrate the New Year.
“The government has been constantly reminding the public to stop using firecrackers. Probably, many people heeded the request and instead used torotots (toy horns) to welcome the New Year,” he told reporters yesterday.
There were also fewer injuries caused by stray bullets.
From five in 2015, only three cases were reported in 2016, Banzon said.
He said based on their records, the three victims lived in the cities of Bogo and Mandaue, and in Consolacion town.
In 2015, four of the five persons hit by stray bullets were from Cebu City.
Last year, Cebu City has not recorded injuries caused by stray bullets.
Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office, described as “generally peaceful” the start of 2017 in the Queen City of the South.
He said they seized illegally sold firecrackers that included five boxes of picolo, 300 stick of whistle bombs, 144 triangles, 30 dragon eggs, 100 baby rockets, 20 colorful flash thunders, and 100 pieces of kwites.
Of those injured by firecrackers in Central Visayas, 17 persons come from Cordova, Minglanilla and Dumanjug towns and the cities of Talisay, Naga and Toledo in Cebu province, followed by Cebu City with five, Lapu-Lapu City (5), Bohol (5), and Mandaue City (1) in Metro Cebu.
Last December, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would issue an order banning the use of firecrackers, limiting people’s celebration to community fireworks displays.
For their part, the Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (RESU-7) said based on their records, there was a 17 percent reduction of firecracker-related injuries and stray bullet reports in Central Visayas this year.
Rennan Cimafranca, chief of RESU-7, said there were 61 cases of firecracker-related injuries and 2 stray bullets from December 23, 2016 to January 2 this year.
He said this is lower than the 69 cases (firecrackers related) and five stray bullets cases recorded in December 23, 2015 to January 2, 2016.
In Mandaue City, Mayor Luigi Quisumbing thanked city residents for heeding the government’s call to avoid using firecrackers.
Though admitting that there were still firecracker injuries, he said they were fewer than the previous year.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza noted six recorded firecracker injuries which were two less than in 2015.
In Consolacion town, 13-year-old Johnrey Ancero Jr. sustained a gunshot wound on his right shoulder caused by a stray bullet.
Sen. Insp. William Homoc, Consolacion police chief, said Ancero was riding his bicycle about 100 meters away from their house in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Jugan when he was hit by the stray bullet.
He said an investigation into the incident is already underway.