PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — For the first time, the celebration of New Year’s Eve in this city did not record any incident or casualty due to firecrackers, and the police credit President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 28.
Based on the information gathered by the police from hospitals in the city, no firecracker- or firework-related injury was brought for treatment on or before the eve of the New Year celebrations.
“We checked with the hospitals, particularly Ospital ng Palawan, and no one was brought for any firecracker-related injury. The celebration of the New Year was really peaceful in Puerto Princesa,” said Police Sr. Insp. Pearl Lamban-Marzo, spokesperson of City Police Office (CPO), Monday morning.
“We think President Duterte’s executive order really helped a lot in preventing any firework-related injury. We could say it’s generally a peaceful celebration of the New Year,” she added.
Except for the confiscation of two pieces of “boga” (traditional noisemaker canon made from PVC pipe using piezo igniter) and pieces of five-star from young boys, no other seizure of any banned firework was recorded.
“There were still violations, meaning people still using banned fireworks inside their home perimeters, but generally, no injury was recorded. The confiscations of the ‘boga’ were from kids who probably do not know they’re banned,” she added.
The CPO thanked city barangay officials and residents for heeding the EO that was issued by President Duterte in June 2017.
The EO regulates the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. (PNA)
