Parents of boy victim won’t file case; pyro workers released

Police: Local  pyro manufacturer has Cordova mayor’s permit but expired license

PARENTS  of the 8-year-old boy who was killed by a  pyrotechnic device that misfired during a fiesta in Cordova town are not filing a complaint.

They  signed an affidavit of desistance, which allowed  two men who launched the fireworks  to be set free.

Couple Bryaner Monteron and Michelle Alia stated in their affidavit  that the death of their son Sam was an accident and that the men  in charge of the fireworks display had asked for forgiveness.

Joseph Berdin and Jason Tuquib were released  from the  Cordova police station.

Police, however, are still looking into the possible liability of the two men, fireworks manufacturer Juliet Wahing and the event organizer.

The boy died after a pyrotechnic called a  “Bombshell”  that is launched upward and  bursts into stars of different colors,  flew straight to Sam  and exploded on his stomach on the eve of the barangay fiesta celebration in San Miguel, Cordova last Monday night.

From the start, the boy’s parents, who have little financial means, said they would not press charges as long as they  receive financial assistance to bury their son.

In their affidavit of desistance, the couple said they were not asking for any compensation.

SPO2 Glen Facturan of the Firearms and Explosives unit of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 said “there might have been negligence on the part of the operator or  the launcher was not secured causing the  Bombshell  to explode on the ground.”

Facturan said “Bombshell,” also known as “Ball of Fire” in Bulacan province  is not a banned device.

“Bombshell is only a local name but it is included in the list of pyrotechnic devices for professional fireworks display,” Facturan told Cebu Daily News.

He said the device is not a firecracker, but a pyrotechnic device that is meant to be launched upward.

“Compared to ordinary firecrackers, even to the banned items, ‘Bombshell’ has greater charge in terms of powder used for explosion since it belongs to the category of fireworks. They are meant to be launched upwards,” he said.

VIOLATIONS

Facturan said Wahing, who manufactured the fireworks, may  not be able to renew her  permit from the Firearms and Explosives Security Service Agency and Guards Supervisory Section (FESSAGS) of the PNP.

“We will be sending a report to the Firearms and Explosives office in Camp Crame as they are the approving body of the permit for fireworks manufacturing. The incident might affect her (Wahing) application in renewing her permit,” said Facturan in Cebuano.

Wahing’s permit from y Camp Crame expired in January 2014.

She had no license to display firecrackers or a permit to stage the fireworks display. Neither did she have a permit from the Cordova police, who are suppposed to inspect the site for safety, Facturan said.

A copy of the permit should also be given to the local fire station, which will then provide a firetruck onsite for any emergency.

Facturan also noted that the two men commissioned by Wahing to stage the fireworks display did not have proper training.

Wahing has been invited to the FESSAGS 7 office to shed light on the incident.

Based on the report of the Cordova police, Wahing proceesed a mayor’s permit which is a prerequisite for the FESSAGS license.

NOT THE FIRST

Cordova Police chief Senior Insp. Alexander Nuñez said they will look into the possible liability of organizers of the fireworks display.

The fiesta chapel committee of barangay San Miguel, headed by president Filomena Guevarra, had commissioned the fireworks display for P3,000.

Nuñez said it was the fourth time that Wahing was commissioned by the chapel committee to stage the fireworks display and the “first time” such an accident happened.

Wahing is hired for the yearly event. She was only able to show her mayor’s permit but her license to operate has long been expired,”said Nuñez.

He said Wahing is now complying with the requirements in anticipation of increased demand for fireworks during the Christmas holidays.

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy urged  fireworks manufacturers to strictly implement safety and quality checks on their products to avoid accidents.

He said only “heavy duty fireworks” are banned in his town by an ordinance.

Republic Act 7183, the law regulating the manufacture and sale of pyrotechnic devices, does not list “Bombshell” among the allowed firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

Facturan said, however, that the list is usually updated yearly and “Bombshell” may be found in the latest list at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame.

Under the law, only the following pyrotechnic devices are allowed: sparklers, luces, fountain, jumbo regular and special, mabuhay, roman candle, trompillo, airwolf, whistle device, butterfly and all kinds of pyrotechnic “pailaw.”

The firecrackers allowed by law are: baby rockets, bawang, small trianggulo, pulling of strings, paper caps, el diablo, Judah’s belt, sky ticket or kwitis and watusi.