DOH records 68% drop in firecracker injuries

No stray bullet fatalities

MANILA, Philippines — With 139 individuals sustaining injuries from firecrackers, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday declared a “historic” reduction in the number of fireworks-related injuries during the New Year revelry.

As of 6 a.m. yesterday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said a total of 139 injuries were recorded from 60 sentinel hospitals nationwide since Dec. 21, or 68 percent lower than the 428 cases documented during the year-ago surveillance period from 6 a.m. on Dec. 21 to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1. 

Of the 139 cases, 84 were injured while ushering in the New Year. 

“We are happy to see a 68 percent decline in the number of cases... I believe this is the historic biggest reduction in the number of firecracker injuries,” Duque noted at a press conference at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.

Duque attributed the decline to two factors: the rains and Executive Order No. 28 signed by President Duterte in 2017, banning the residential and personal use of firecrackers.

“Because of that EO, the substantive downward reduction began. Last year, there was a 27-percent decline while this year, we’ve seen a 68-percent reduction,” he added. 

The EO provides that community fireworks displays must be organized to discourage the household use of firecrackers. 

The DOH chief maintained that the second reason was the rains.

“Obviously and everybody will agree with me and I can boldly say nature, this time, took the side of DOH. It has been raining for the past several days unrelentingly and I think this also contributed to the substantive reduction in the fireworks related injuries,” he added.

Possible increase

But Duque cautioned that the number of firecracker injuries can increase in the coming days because of late reports coming from other regions. He also did not rule out the possibility of children picking up unexploded firecrackers in the streets.

“We appeal to parents to watch over their children. Firecrackers that were soaked in rains will eventually dry and may be picked up by their children,” he added.

The New Year celebration also saw piccolo being overtaken by kwitis and boga as the leading cause of injuries. Piccolo and boga are illegal fireworks.

Based on reports prepared by the DOH-Epidemiology Bureau, there were 30 injuries from kwitis while boga accounted for 16 cases; piccolo for 15 cases; luces for eight cases and 5-Star and triangle with seven cases each.

Duque said two of the injuries happened in designated fireworks display areas in Barangay and Sta. Ana in Manila. He assumed that the fireworks were not handled by professionals.

A total of 73 cases took place on the streets while 59 happened at home.

There were two cases of firecracker ingestion while there was no stray bullet injury recorded by DOH.

A majority of those injured were males at 81 percent. The ages of the cases ranged from two to 69.

Data also showed that Metro Manila had the highest number of cases at 53, followed by Western Visayas with 26; Central Visayas with 13 and Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Region 4A) with 10 cases each.

“We are gratified, on the one hand, with the reduction, but on the other hand, we are saddened because there are still cases related to fireworks... (We) need to do a lot more to achieve zero casualty,” he added.

Meanwhile, three persons were arrested for possession of illegal firecrackers in Navotas while others surrendered their fireworks to the police in Malabon.

The Southern Police District arrested two persons for selling illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices while two were injured during the New Year revelry in southern Metro Manila.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday vowed to hold accountable the 23 people who were arrested for illegal discharge of firearms during the Yuletide season.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said the violators will face criminal charges for their actions which could have endangered the lives of others.

“The full might of the law will be applied to these trigger-happy gun owners upon observance of all requirements of due process,” Albayalde said in a statement.

The violators were caught during law enforcement operations from Dec. 16, 2018 up to Jan. 1.

Among them were seven policemen also facing administrative charges for defying Albayalde’s directive not to use their service firearms indiscriminately.

He promised stiff administrative sanctions await the policemen, three of whom were caught in Metro Manila.

Batanes, Pangasinan

In Batanes all police stations in the six municipalities reported zero injuries.

The absence of fireworks-related injuries was attributed by local government officials to the implementation of EO 28.

Firecracker-related injuries in Pangasinan decreased by 17 percent based on a report from the Provincial Health Office as of 9 a.m. yesterday.

Physician Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman, provincial health officer, said from Dec. 21, 2017 to Jan. 1, 2018, there were 41 cases.

From Dec. 21, 2018 to Jan. 1, 2019, there were 34 cases reported, De Guzman said.

Of the figure, 26 were active cases or those who lighted firecrackers and were injured and eight passive cases or those who were hit by firecrackers lighted by other people.

The oldest victim was 75 years old.

De Guzman said all the cases were from blasts and burns. There were no amputations, stray bullet victims and mortality, she added.

The firecrackers used by the victims were kwitis, boga, bawang, triangle, pla-pla, piccolo, luces, baby rocket, 5-star, whistle bomb and fountain.

The PNP yesterday recorded 40 injuries in Western Visayas from Dec. 16, 2017 to Jan. 1, 2019.

Senior Insp. Aireen Cordua said 24 were injured by firecracker explosions in eight cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental, excluding Bacolod City, from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1.

Chief Insp. Ariel Pico, spokesman for Bacolod City Police Office, reported that eight minors were injured from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.

Stray bullet injuries

Four persons were injured in Iloilo and Pangasinan after they were hit by stray bullets during the New Year revelry.

The PNP said there was no fatality attributed to stray bullets.

Western Visayas police authorities said two people sustained injuries in Iloilo province.

Investigators said Magdalena Dulce, 59, suffered a fracture on her head when she was hit by a stray bullet while watching a fireworks display at around 12:40 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Aquino Nobleza West, January, Iloilo.

She was brought to Janiuay District Hospital for treatment but was not confined.

The victim’s relatives recovered a deformed bullet fragment from a firearm of unknown caliber at the scene of the incident.

Another victim, Julius Julie Engada, 15, was hit in the nape by a shotgun bullet at around 11:50 p.m. on Monday in Barangay Subong, Maasin, Iloilo.

Engada was brought to the Federico Tirado Memorial District Hospital and was discharged after treatment.

The third incident occurred in San Carlos City, Pangasinan yesterday.

Pangasinan police chief Senior Supt. Wilson Lopez said Rodolfo de Guzman, 64, was lighting a firecracker outside his house at around 12:03 a.m. in Barangay Turac, San Carlos when he felt pain on his right forearm.

De Guzman was brought to a nearby hospital.

The fourth victim was 29-year-old Jose Marie Baniqued, hit by a stray bullet at around 10 p.m. in Barangay Poblacion, Basista, Pangasinan.

Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman, provincial health officer, said Baniqued was admitted at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City after he was hit by a bullet in his right thigh which exited at his right knee.

Baniqued was reportedly too drunk and failed to even notice he was wounded.

Police said the victim was reportedly walking on his way home from a drinking session when he was hit by the stray bullet.

Supt. Joem Malong, spokesman for the Police Regional Office 6, said a civilian in Manduriao, Iloilo, was arrested for indiscriminate firing.

Cordua, spokesman for the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said they have not recorded any incident of indiscriminate firing or stray-bullet incident.

More peaceful

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. said yesterday the celebration of the New Year was peaceful and with fewer incidents.

From Dec. 31, 2018 to Jan. 1, a total of 85 incidents related to the New Year revelry were recorded. It is lower by 42.56 percent when compared to 148 incidents during the same period last year.

Durana said among these incidents were illegal discharge of firearms and people arrested for use and sale of prohibited firecrackers.

“It was a lot safer and more peaceful compared to 2017,” he said over radio dzBB.

Director Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said there were no stray bullet victims in the latest New Year’s Eve revelry.

He said two suspects were nabbed for indiscriminate firing of guns in Navotas.

Eleazar said the NCRPO’s tactical operation center (TOC) recorded six indiscriminate firing incidents but only one was related to the New Year celebration. This was in Navotas with the culprits arrested and the handgun confiscated.

Alexander Ilustrisimo and Glenn Monares, both construction workers, were arrested after residents complained to the police that they were firing their guns in Barangay Northbay Boulevard during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Police confiscated from the suspects a loaded caliber .45 pistol and two sachets of suspected shabu.

Ilustrisimo is also a suspect behind shooting incidents and drug dealing in the area, according to Navotas chief police investigator Senior Insp. Aldrin Thompson.

They will be charged with illegal possession of firearms.

Another man was arrested for indicriminate firing in Iloilo City.

A witness said they were outside watching some neighbors at Barangay Hibao-an Norte, Mandurriao, Iloilo City lighting firecrackers when Stewart Mirasol fired his gun at around 12:30 a.m.

Mirasol, 37, was arrested by responding members of the Iloilo City Mobile Force Company.

He yielded a 9 mm revolver with five bullets.

The NCRPO’s TOC and the Department of Health (DOH) also recorded 55 firecracker injuries in Metro Manila, some 79 percent lower than the 248 injuries recorded during the 2018 New Year celebration.

“So far, the incidents of stray bullet, indiscriminate firing and firecracker injuries are down this year,” Eleazar said.

The Manila Police District (MPD) has not recorded any stray bullet incident but eight cases of firecracker-related injuries were reported, MPD chief Senior Supt. Vicente Danao said yesterday.

Danao said the injuries in the New Year revelry are on a tolerable level. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Robertzon Ramirez, Non Alquitran, Jose Rodel Clapano, Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez, Gilbert Bayoran, Jack Castaño, Jennifer Rendon