DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The new year ushered in peacefully in Negros Oriental province as authorities recorded four firecracker-related injuries and zero deaths from stray bullets.
Last year, January 1, 2019, there were two firecracker-related injuries and one victim of a stray bullet.
Dr. Socrates Villamor, provincial chief of the Department of Health in Negros Oriental, said the four victims in the January 1, 2020 blast-related burn injuries came from the cities of Dumaguete and Bais, and the towns of Zamboanguita and Sta. Catalina.
One of the four injured individuals is a six-year-old child. Reports did not indicate if the child is male or female.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Julian Entoma, chief of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Noppo), said there were no recorded indiscriminate firing incidents in Negros Oriental as the Negrenses welcomed the year 2020.
“Sa 25 ka police stations diri walay report kabahin sa indiscriminate firing ug hit by stray bullets. So far very peaceful ang atoang pagsugat sa bag-ong tuig,” Entoma said.
(Of the 25 police stations here, there were no reports on indiscriminate firing [of guns] or of anyone hit by stray bullets. So far, our celebration in welcoming the new year was very peaceful.)
Entoma said it is evident that public and the police force themselves cooperated and heeded the call to have a peaceful celebration by supporting the campaign against indiscriminate firing of guns.
“Siguro atong nakita nga ang cuerpo sa kapolisan ug sa AFP nag-mature enough nga dili mag indiscriminate firing. Ang licensed firearm holders kabalo na sila nga bug-at ang silot… pagkanselar sa ilang license sa firearm ug ang maturity sa tawo, ” Entoma added.
(Our security forces and AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] have matured enough to refrain from indiscriminate firing [of guns]. Licensed firearm holders know how grave the punishments are. They know the sanctions include cancellation of firearm license. They now have maturity in knowing that indiscriminate firing of guns is not good.) / celr