Firecracker, stray bullet injuries up 17% - DOH

MANILA, Philippines - The number of New Year revelers injured from firecracker blasts and indiscriminate firing has soared to 848 from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2, representing a 17 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported last Friday that the number of injuries from the New Year celebration was 597 – 570 from fireworks; 26 from stray bullets and one from watusi poisoning. This figure, he said, was 15 percent lower than last year’s.

Duque’s data, however, only covered the period from Dec. 21 to 6 a.m. of Jan. 1.

But in a report yesterday, the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC) said that as of 6 a.m. of Jan. 2, there were already 807 injuries from fireworks, 40 from stray bullets and one watusi poisoning.

In a telephone interview, NEC director Dr. Eric Tayag said the increase was due to the use of the seemingly harmless piccolo, which accounted for 250 of the injuries.

Following piccolo was kwitis with 119 injuries, five star with 49, pla-pla with 41, and whistle bomb with 36 cases.

“It’s also possible that those injured on New Year’s Eve and during the actual celebration just waited for daybreak before seeing a doctor. That’s why we now see a sudden increase in cases,” Tayag said.

NEC records showed that 251 of the victims were children below 10 years old. A total of 486 were active users, while 72 of them were under the influence of alcohol.

Some 69 sustained blast injuries with amputation, while 118 suffered eye injuries.

Forty revelers, on the other hand, were hit by stray bullets and this is 23 cases or 135 percent higher than in the previous year. Nine of these cases are still being verified by the police.

Of the 848 cases, 536 came from Metro Manila; 66 from Region 1; 42 from Region 6; 42 cases from Region 3; and 31 from Calabarzon (Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde urged those with even minor cuts or burns from pyrotechnics to get anti-tetanus shots to avoid infection.

Four civilians arrested

Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said police arrested four civilians, including a security guard, on separate occasions for alleged illegal discharge of firearms.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the PNP has requested officials of the Department of Health to submit to the PNP all recovered evidence such as empty shells and bullets to help identify the suspects involved and support the filing of criminal charges in court.

Meanwhile, a policeman assigned to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is now under arrest and is facing dismissal from the service for firing his 9-mm Taurus service pistol during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the NCRPO, said Police Officer 1 Nabu Jusay, assigned with the NCRPO’s Regional Operations Division (ROD), indiscriminately fired his gun on New Year’s Eve while on holiday break in his hometown in Sta. Ana, Cagayan province.

Jusay is now under the custody of the Sta. Ana, Cagayan police. Criminal charges will be filed against him tomorrow, Rosales said.

Rosales said that aside from the dismissal proceedings and criminal case, Jusay is also facing an administrative case.

The NCRPO said it was not immediately known if there were people hurt by Jusay’s alleged indiscriminate shooting. - Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Charlie Lagasca and Mike Frialde