They never learn. Carlito Bagoy, 12, a victim of ‘Piccolo’ firecracker, looks at his injured right hand after getting medical treatment at the Dr. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila on Monday.
INQUIRER PHOTO
While there was a major drop in the number of firecracker-related injuries reported nationwide, Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas experienced a slight increase in injuries and indiscriminate firing incidents.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) recorded 44 firecracker-related injuries in the region from Dec. 16, 2017 to Jan. 1, 2018.
The number is two cases higher compared to the same period in the previous year, said Supt. Reyman Tolentin, information officer of PRO-7.
“Bamboo cannon,” “Piccolo,” “Candy Bomb,” Triangle,” “Whistle Bomb,” “Judas Belt,” and “Kwitis,” were among the top injury-causing bangers.
“In Bohol, a man lost his arms due to a firecracker. The rest sustained minor injuries like burns,” said Tolentin in an interview on Tuesday.
“I think that’s already a huge improvement compared to previous years when several people lost their arms or even their lives due to firecrackers,” he added.
The youngest firecracker victim was five years old while the oldest was 88.
Most of the victims were male, the PRO-7 data revealed.
PRO-7 also recorded four cases of indiscriminate firing in Cebu.
These happened in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, and Compostela town.
In 2016, the police received two reports of indiscriminate firing.
In the Talisay incident, a housewife found a bullet of undetermined caliber on the bed of the masters’ bedroom.
Lloyd Cantones, the owner of the house, said they were eating and celebrating the New Year when his wife went up to their bedroom to get her cellphone. That’s when she saw the bullet on their bed.
The police are still conducting a follow up operation to identify the shooter.
Despite the increase in indiscriminate firing incidents, Tolentin said no one was hit by stray bullets from Dec. 24, 2017 to Jan. 1, 2018.
Tolentin said the suspects have yet to be identified.
“The celebration of the New Year was nonetheless generally peaceful,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday, published a report by the Department of Health (DOH) which counted 373 firecracker-related injuries nationwide from December 21 to January 1 which is the monitoring period for firecracker injuries.
The figure is a huge drop from last year’s 604 cases.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, according to the Inquirer, attributed the decrease to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 28 which limited the use of firecrackers to places designated by local governments and required police permit. /with Correspondents Benjie B. Talisic and Michael Lawrence Chua