KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/27 December) — Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel seized around P10,000 worth of illegal firecrackers and fireworks in a series of crackdowns in this city in the last two days.
City fire marshal Rupert Christian Balicol said Friday they confiscated the illegal firecrackers and fireworks from unlicensed vendors who have set up display areas in portions of the city’s main public market.
He said it is illegal to sell firecrackers and other related materials at the public market and other areas outside the designated display area along the national highway in Barangay Sto. Nino here.
Aside from lacking the necessary licenses and permits, Balicol said the illegal vendors were also selling banned or prohibited firecrackers and fireworks like piccolo and whistle bomb.
The seized materials, which were immediately turned over to the city police station for proper disposal, included lusis, sparklers and triangle, he said.
“We’re conducting regular monitoring and seizure activities against these illegal vendors to ensure the proper regulation of the selling and distribution of firecrackers and fireworks within the city,” he said.
The official said they are also making regular rounds of the licensed vendors to make sure that they properly comply with the safety and trade regulations set by Republic Act (RA) 7183 or the “Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and other Pyrotechnic Devices.”
Under RA 7183, firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices that have more than the allowable explosive content are strictly prohibited.
Among the banned materials are watusi or the “dancing firecracker,” piccolo, super lolo, atomic big triangulo, mother rockets, lolo thunder, pillbox, boga, big Judah’s belt, big bawang, kwiton, goodbye Philippines, kabasi, five star, pla-pla, OG, giant whistle bomb and unlabeled firecrackers.
The Departments of Health and the Trade and Industry had issued prohibitions regarding the use and selling of the said firecrackers and fireworks.
Meantime, police authorities have also intensified their monitoring and intelligence gathering against the entry and distribution of illegal firecrackers and fireworks in the area.
Senior Insp. Joseph Carlos Madrid, chief investigator of the city police station, said they are currently tracking down the sources of the illegal firecrackers and fireworks that have been proliferating in the area.
“We have dispatched some of our intelligence operatives to monitor the activities of some personalities that are allegedly behind these illegal activities,” he said.
Madrid said they have also stepped up their monitoring at the barangay level in coordination with barangay officials and concerned residents. (MindaNews)