‘Goodbye De Lima,’ banned ’crackers seized in Bulacan

Police officers show confiscated illegal fireworks during their crackdown on illegal fireworks in Bocaue Bulacan on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. On Thursday, Dec. 26, 2016, police seized a stash fo fireworks at a factory in Sta. Maria, Bualacan (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/Philippine Daily Inquirer)

CITY OF MALOLOS — Powerful firecrackers, among them a product named after Sen. Leila de Lima, were confiscated and destroyed on Thursday by Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa during a visit to stores selling pyrotechnic products in Bocaue town.

“Goodbye De Lima,” a triangle-shaped firecracker which was sold in a blue wrapper, was among the products seized from a factory in Sta. Maria town.

In front of local policemen and officials, De la Rosa submerged the seized firecrackers in a drum of water.

These were later buried in an undisclosed place by the police.

Earlier, as Dela Rosa was presenting the seized firecrackers to reporters, the wick of the “Goodbye De Lima” he was holding started to smoke, sending the police official and other policemen scampering for cover.
A policeman grabbed the oversized firecracker and threw it into the street. They later poured water on the firecracker to stop it from exploding.

“Goodbye De Lima” may be a deadlier version of banned products that used to bear the names “Goodbye Philippines” and “Goodbye Gloria,” manufacturers and local policemen said.

Some of the confiscated items were actually repackaged “piccolo,” a firecracker made in China and smuggled into the country, according to Supt. Jowen Dela Cruz, Bocaue chief of police.

Piccolo is among the fireworks banned under the law regulating the manufacture and sale of fireworks and firecrackers. Police said they also seized piccolo firecrackers labeled as “Pacquiao” after boxer and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

The discovery of the prohibited firecrackers surprised fireworks manufacturers and dealers. Many of their stores had just reopened, after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in November shut down fireworks factories following firecracker-related accidents in Bocaue and Sta. Maria that killed five people.

After their employees underwent refresher courses on occupational health and safety standards, many of these factories were allowed to reopen this month in time for the Yuletide holidays when demand was high.

Celso Cruz, president emeritus of Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association (PPMDAI), said he was not aware there were firecrackers named after De Lima, and urged the police to arrest their manufacturers and dealers.

Some firecracker store owners claimed these prohibited fireworks continued to have a market, so some traders had resorted to repackaging these using names of controversial or popular personalities.

Illegal firecrackers were also named “Trillanes” when then Army officer and now Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV led the 2007 Oakwood mutiny against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The “Bin Laden” firecrackers became popular, referring to Osama bin Laden, the slain al-Qaida leader believed to have orchestrated the World Trade Center bombing in 2001.

“Goodbye Gloria” emerged at the height of the “Hello Garci” election controversy involving Arroyo and a Commission on Elections commissioner in 2004. —Inquirer Central Luzon