Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is cracking down on the online sale of illegal fireworks in the lead-up to New Year’s Eve, Civil Security Group (CSG) Director Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco said Wednesday.
Francisco announced it during the PNP’s ocular inspection of fireworks stalls at Santiago Compound in Barangay Turo, Bocaue town in Bulacan province to ensure compliance with regulation laws ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The CSG, which houses the police force’s office regulating firearms and explosives, said it is coordinating with the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to monitor the internet for websites illegally selling fireworks.
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Francisco also said the CSG requested the National Telecommunications Commission to “take [down]” the sites.
“Online selling is prohibited under the law with regards to these firecrackers,” he said in a press conference.
“It’s very clear that we cannot ensure the safety and standards of the products sold online, so we can’t see where they came from. We can’t see if this is up to the standards required by law,” he added in Filipino.
According to the CSG director, they are tapping e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada to help curb the authorized sale of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices on their platforms.
Shopee and Lazada have yet to respond to INQUIRER.net’s request for comment as of this posting.
Francisco reminded the public to only buy fireworks and pyrotechnics from authorized dealers and retailers, as regulated by Republic Act No. 7183 and Executive Order No. 28 s. 2017.
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“Buy at authorized dealers, never buy online. They have stores you can buy at and it’s displayed there which authorized fireworks you can buy because they are not allowed to sell authorized fireworks,” he said in Filipino.
Francisco also said the CSG and territorial police are monitoring manufacturing operations attempting to skirt the ban.