ABOUT P10,000 worth of firecrackers and pyrotechnics were seized by police in different places starting December 24 , mostly in barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City.
Around eight shanties were raided.
No arrests were made as workers scampered off when they noticed the presence of police.
Police confiscated Whistle bombs, Kwitis, fountains and other types.
Senior Supt. Armando Radoc who led the operation destroyed the goods by submerging them in a barrel of water.
He said the products may not be safe to use since the manufacturers didn’t attend required safety seminars.
He noted that none of the oversized firecrackers were being sold.
He urged the public to buy only from authorized distributors and vendors.
The monitoring will continue until the New Year, he said. The joint operation was made by the City Intelligence Branch (CIB), Lapu-Lapu City Police Headquarters and Hoops Dome Police Station.
Mactan Police siezed firecracker displays at sitio Bliss in barangay Pajac but the vendor was able to run off. Firerackers worth P500 were brought to the police station.
Grace Pongasi, whose family is an established firecracker manufacturer, said legitimate operators like them were at a disadvantage in competing with illegal manufacturers.
“Ginansya lang mi og gamay kay wala naman kaayo’y mamalit og pabuto,” said Pongasi. (We only have a little profit because not many people buy firecrackers/pyrotechnics anymore).