Members of the Manila Police District Bomb Squad prepare to set off a “Yolanda” firecracker to show its destructive effects on life and property. ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines—Loud explosions rocked Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park Friday morning as officers of the Manila Police District (MPD) set off some of the most powerful illegal firecrackers being sold on the sly just days before the New Year’s Eve celebration.
Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz said the lighting of the “Napoles”— named after the alleged mastermind of the billion-peso pork barrel scam—and “Yolanda”— the Supertyphoon which killed over 6,000 people in the Visayas region—was meant to show the damage caused by powerful pyrotechnic materials.
“We placed the firecrackers next to pork hinds to represent human flesh and aluminum sheets and pieces of wood to symbolize houses and other property,” Cruz, the chief of the MPD directorial staff, told the Inquirer.
The firecrackers that went off in one of the open areas at Rizal Park shattered the pork hinds, sending bits of flesh flying into the air. The force of the explosion also shook nearby establishments.
“We want to show the public that these illegal and strong firecrackers can [cause] so much damage in an open-air setting so [imagine what they will do] if they are lit and ignited in the streets or in enclosed spaces,” Cruz said.
On Thursday, Manila policemen raided stalls in Divisoria selling illegal firecrackers like “Goodbye Philippines,” “Atomic Bomb,” “Piccolo” and “Bin Laden.” The firecrackers set off yesterday were among the seized items while the rest were destroyed by immersion in drums filled with water.
Cruz said these firecrackers were banned because these have an explosive content over the allowed limit of 0.2 gram.
Health Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Eric Tayag announced on Twitter that as of Friday, they have recorded a total of 140 firework-related injuries and five cases of people being hit by stray bullets.
Tayag also reported that a 14-year-old boy in Cebu City lost his right hand to the firecracker Yolanda. He added that a five-year-old boy lost his right index finger after a “camara” or a small dynamite went off in his hand.
MPD director Chief Supt. Isagani Genabe Jr. said that in preparation for the New Year’s Eve celebration, he had deployed patrol groups to monitor several areas in the city for cases of indiscriminate firing.
At the same time, he urged the public to be conscious about their own security, especially on January 1.
“If you are going out, make sure that all your doors are locked. I also advise all to celebrate the New Year without firecrackers,” Genabe added.