EDITORIAL - Dangerous revelry

With New Year’s Eve just days away, two children in Caloocan and a farmer in Bulacan have been wounded by stray bullets. All three were wounded on Christmas Eve, raising the possibility that the bullets were fired in the course of holiday celebrations. The culprits are unlikely to be caught. But in Tondo, Manila, Police Officer 1 Fulgencio Narceda Sideco was arrested by other policemen for firing his gun twice into the air during a party on Christmas morning. Police authorities should make sure he gets punished for irresponsible, dangerous conduct.

In another dangerous type of holiday revelry, a man lost his leg after being hit by a giant firecracker early yesterday in Bulacan, the nation’s firecracker capital. The firecracker isn’t called “Goodbye, Philippines” for nothing: it is so large and powerful you have to be prepared to bid goodbye to the country and life if it is mishandled. It’s “goodbye, leg” for the victim, but he could have lost his life. A few years ago the less powerful “Judas Belt” killed a reveler. “Goodbye, Philippines” is supposed to be banned, and its continued proliferation is testament to a failure of law enforcement.

Despite annual ceremonies taping the muzzles of guns issued to cops and soldiers, the symbolic reminder to avoid indiscriminate firing of weapons during the holidays continues to be ignored by some members of the police and military. The public probably wouldn’t mind if the bullets hit the same individuals who fired the guns, but this is never the case.

Every year warnings are issued that a slug falling back to the ground still has sufficient impact to kill. Some years ago a girl sleeping at home was killed by a stray bullet that penetrated their roof. That incident did not put a stop to the indiscriminate firing of weapons, by cops, soldiers and civilians. The best remedy is vigilance by the public. You can text 2920 or contact Patrol 117 to report anyone who still has to learn that a bullet does not disintegrate when fired into the air. The nation cannot be reminded enough that celebrating the holidays should not put lives at risk.