IF ordered by the Commande-in-Chief, President Rodrigo Duterte, police will strictly enforce a nationwide firecrackers’ ban in order to help save life and limb under the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine National Police chief General Debold M. Sinas said yesterday.
“We will implement it (firecrackers’ ban) once ordered by the President. We have the people to do it. We can arrest and file charges against the violators,” said the top cop during a press briefing at Camp Crame.
President Duterte said on Monday he is mulling a total ban on firecrackers starting next year.
“It’s really a dangerous things, and for reasons of public safety and health,” he said.
“By mid-year, I may issue the necessary documents banning totally, totally banning paputok,” the President said.
The PNP chief said that they have been enforcing a ban on the unauthorized manufacture, sale and use of deadly firecrackers and pyrotechnics since the start of the Duterte administration in 2016.
“Bawal naman talaga ang paputok. Pag me firecrackers. me sunog, me nalalasong mga bata. At lalo na pag me quarantine period, marami talagang bawal,” he explained.
Gen. Sinas said that he has ordered the PNP Directorate for Operations headed by Major Gen. Alfred S. Corpus to issue a directive to all 17 police regional offices to confiscate firecrackers from their possessors and look if they have committed violations of different city and municipal ordinances.
He also said that he has asked the PNP Civil Security Group and the Firearms and Explosives Office to hit hard on illegal manufacturers and distributors of firecrackers and pyrotechnics. “We will check with the FEO kung sino pa ang me existing permits this time,” he said.
