PNP chief inspects firecracker stores in Bocaue, Bulacan

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde inspects a store selling firecrackers in Bocaue, Bulacan, on Friday, December 28, 2018. INQUIRER.NET / CATHRINE GONZALES

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde inspected on Thursday firecracker stores in Bocaue, Bulacan, as the nation prepared to greet 2019.

Albayalde said the shops he inspected in the town dubbed as the “Fireworks Capital of the Philippines” had all the necessary permits and complied with the rules and regulations in selling firecrackers.

“Based on our inspection this morning, ‘yung mga nakita nating mga tindahan ay all compliant. Meron silang mga fire certificate. Meron silang certificate, business permits, and also permits coming from the firearms and explosives unit,” he told reporters shortly after the inspection.

(The shops we inspected are all compliant based on our inspection this morning. They have certificate, business permits, and also permits coming from the firearms and explosives unit.)

Two manufactures of illegal firecrackers, however, have been arrested recently by the Bulacan police. The confiscated firecrackers amount to P300,000, he said.

According to Albayalde, the shops he inspected did not sell firecrackers banned by the PNP.

The PNP’s list of illegal firecrackers include piccolo, watusi, giant whistle bomb, giant bawang, large judas belt, super lolo or thunder lolo, atomic bomb, atomic big triangulo, pillbox, boga, kwiton, Goodbye Earth, Goodbye Bading, Hello Columbia, Coke-in-Can, kabasi, og, and other unlabeled and imported firecrackers.

Those found violating Republic Act No. 7183 or the law regulating the manufacture, sale, distribution, or use of firecrackers faces a fine from P20,000 to P30,000, or may face imprisonment of six months to one year, the PNP said.

For sellers, violators face the cancelation of their license and business permit and their firecracker stocks confiscated by the police.

Albayalde advised buyers to not patronize illegal firecrackers as these can lead to serious injury.

“Sa ating mga kababayan, bumili lang tayo ng kung ano ‘yung prescribed ng batas, kung ano ‘yung legal. Wag na nating ipilit ‘yung mga ganitong kalalaki [na paputok] dahil baka mamaya baka madisgrasya pa tayo,” he said.

(To our citizens, let’s only buy those prescribed by the law, those that are legal. Let’s not opt to buy firecrackers as huge as these because it might lead to injuries.) /cbb