Undercover policemen confiscate boxes and sacks of firecrackers and pyrotechnics illegally sold at an establishment in Barangay Ermita on December 27, 2019. | Contributed photo courtesy of Police Captain Alvin Llamedo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Don’t buy or sell firecrackers illegally or you might spend the New Year in jail.”
Police Captain Alvin Llamedo, Carbon Police Station chief, gave this advise to the public amid the raid on Friday, December 27, of an establishment in Calderon Street in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, which was illegally selling firecrackers.
Llamedo said that they confiscated at least 170,000 pieces made up of 23 kinds of firecrackers worth at least P323,000.
Llamedo said the establishment was raided because they did not have any permits to sell and the only area to sell firecrackers in Cebu City was on a designated area at the South Road Properties.
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The confiscated firecrackers included fountain, flash thunder, baby rocket, Roman fireworks, steel beauty, rotating fireworks, snapper, Roman candle, showtime, angry bird, happyball colour sky, dragon egss, tango, potating, bingala and goodtime.
“Kung kanang ilang mapalit duna nay depekto wala silay mareklamo, unya kung during sa raid simbako adto sila mag new year sa prisohan,” said Llamedo.
(If these firecrackers and fireworks would be defective, then they would not have anybody to pin their blame on, and, in case, they are inside the store buying firecrackers during a raid then they might spend New Year in jail.)
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Llamedo said all the rules on buying and selling were set to provide a safer celebration for the public.
Read more: Scenes of fire-hit firecracker storage area in Kinalumsan
“Kung mahimo sakripisyo nalang silag adto sa SRP. Safety pa sila ngadto unya ang mga items nga mapalit nila sigurado pang ni agi og quality control,” said Llamedo.
(They would just have to sacrifice and go to the SRP. They can safely buy firecrackers and they can be assured of the products having undergone quality control.)
Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak told CDN digital that the government did not lack on their part to inform the public about the guidelines of selling and buying of firecrackers.
He said the public would now be responsible for their actions given that there were rules set.
“Kay ang gi after sa City for their safety ra man pud,”said Tumulak.
(Because the city is really after their safety too.)/dbs