By Brian Campued
Underscoring its commitment to an injury-free holiday season, the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned the public against using and selling prohibited firecrackers ahead of the New Year’s Day festivities.
In a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, the PNP released a list of 31 prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices (FCPDs) based on monitoring:
- Watusi
- Lolo Thunder
- Boga
- Poppop
- Atomic Triangle
- Kwiton
- Pla-pla
- Mother Rockets
- Hello Columbia
- Piccolo
- Goodbye Philippines
- Tuna
- Five Star
- Goodbye Delima
- GPH Nuclear
- Giant Bawang
- Goodbye Napoles
- Giant Whistle Bomb
- Coke-in-Can
- Goodbye Chismosa
- Atomic Bomb
- Bin Laden
- King Kong
- Large-size Judas Belt
- Pillbox
- Dart Bomb
- Super Lolo
- Kabasi
- Goodbye Bading
- Super Yolanda
- Special
Also prohibited are all overweight and oversized FCPDs, imported finished products, unlabelled locally made FCPDs, and other firecrackers with brands or names equivalent to those on the list.
According to the PNP – Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), firecrackers must not contain over one-third teaspoon or over 0.2 grams of explosives, as well as a mixture of sulfur and/or phosphorus with chlorates.
Fuses must not burn for less than three seconds nor more than six seconds.
PNP Explosive Management Division (EMD) chief Pcol. Rex Buyucan said they are regularly inspecting stores to strictly enforce the regulations on the use and selling of FCDPs.
“The FEO through the EMD is issuing permits to those retailers, and after getting the permit from the EMD-FEO, these retailers will subsequently get permit from their respective LGU (local government unit),” Buyucan said.
To date, the PNP Civil Security Group has issued permits to manufacture and distribute to about 60 manufacturers of FCPDs, mostly from Central Luzon and Western Visayas.
Buyucan said they are also closely coordinating with the Bureau of Customs regarding imported FCPDs and the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the monitoring of FCPDs being sold online.
“Para makamit natin itong Happy New Year, ina-advise namin ang ating mga kababayan na sumunod sa ating mga alituntunin na huwag gumamit ng mga ilegal na firecrackers para sa ating safety,” he stressed.
Sellers of illegal firecrackers may face imprisonment of six months to one year and be slapped with fines ranging from P20,000 to P30,000 under Republic Act No. 7183. (with reports from Ryan Lesigues / PTV News and Jaymark Dagala / Radyo Pilipinas)
-jpv
