Group to merge 3 bills on firecrackers

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–A technical working group (TWG) has been formed to put together three House bills that would seek stricter regulation on the manufacture, sale, and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety recently approved the creation of the TWG consolidating house bills authored by former president and now-Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Northern Samar Representative Harlin Abayo and Valenzuela City Representative Sherwin Gatchalian.

Committee chair Negros Occidental Representative Jeffrey Ferrer tapped Pangasinan Representative Leopoldo Bataoil, former Philippine National Police community relations director, to head the TWG and consolidate House bills 786, 1409 and 4434.

The move will amend the existing implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 7183, or the Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and Other Pyrotechnic Devices.

The recent development has been supported by the Bureau of Fire Protection of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Under House Bill 786, or the proposed Firecracker Use Regulation Act of 2013, the use of firecrackers is limited to a professional or with a supervision of a professional.

The legislation proposed by Arroyo seeks to punish violators with a fine of P50,000 to P100,000 and imprisonment of one month and one day to one year.

Arroyo also proposes that the use of firecrackers outside designated firecracker areas be penalized with P10,000 to P50,000 in fines and imprisonment of six months and one day to one year.

It also disallows the use of firecrackers in any organized activity outside of a designated firecracker area without clearance. Any violation would entail a fine of P50,000 to P200,000 and imprisonment of six months and one day to one year.
Inducing, directing, instructing or allowing a minor to use a firecracker would also carry a P50,000 to P200,000 fine and imprisonment of six months and one day to one year.

Abayon, in HB 1409, seeks the amendment of the Section 11 of RA 7183 raising the fine of the illegal manufacture, selling and distribution of firecrackers up to P1 million.

Violators will be punished by P500,000 to P1 million fine and imprisonment of 6 to 12 years in addition to the cancellation of his/her license and business permit and the confiscation by government of his/her inventory stock.

The present penalty is P20,000 to P30,000 fine and imprisonment of six years to one year, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Also seeking to amend the existing law, Gatchalian proposes through House bill 4344 that manufacturers, dealers and wholesale distributors of firecrackers should provide the names and addresses of their accredited stores, outlets, distributors or re-sellers to the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office as a pre-requisite for the approval of the manufacturer’s or dealer’s license permit.

Under the bill, stores, outlets, dealers, should also apply for a permit to sell from the PNP, and will adopt a “one store, one permit” policy.

Violators shall be penalized with P100,000 to P500,000 fine or imprisonment of six months to three years, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Violators of the limitation on purchases and the prohibition on the sale of firecrackers to minors will be punished with a P100,000 fine and revocation of license.

“Parents and guardians who knowingly instigate the purchase of fireworks or pyrotechnic devices by their minor child or ward shall be fined P10,000,” Gatchalian added.

He cited statistics from the Department of Health which recorded 1,018 firework-related injuries at the start of 2014.

Gatchalian said the figure is 73 cases or 8% higher than the five year (2008-2012) average and 87 cases or 9% higher than the same period in 2013.

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