EDITORIAL - A failed campaign

The failure of authorities in the campaign to regulate the local pyrotechnic industry has yielded another casualty, months before the Christmas season. This after an eight-year-old boy was killed in the exploding fireworks during a barangay fiesta celebration in Cordova town.

Police are now training their eyes on the manufacturer of the pyrotechnic materials after it was learned that she has no permit to operate, saying they will invite Juliet Wahing for questioning as to why she was allowed to operate sans the proper documents.

Wahing was able to present a mayor's permit, a requirement for the renewal of the business permit. She was reportedly in the process of renewing her manufacturer's license, which expired in January 2014.

There are questions that beg for answers surrounding that fateful night on Monday when some fireworks, instead of zooming into the sky, whizzed towards the grounds and hit the young spectator, Sam Monteron.

First and foremost, investigators should delve into why Wahing was able to continue manufacturing pyrotechnic materials under the noses of the authorities more than a year and a half since the expiration of her license.

As to why she was allowed to participate in a fireworks display despite the fact that she lacks the proper documents only calls for the need to include the event organizers and the barangay officials in the investigation.

That the device failed to do its job and landed on the boy's body only raises questions.

Monteron's death could have been avoided if those involved in the fireworks display were more cautious. Wahing's lack of permit is just one aspect in the investigation. And authorities should include all the event's stakeholders in their probe to determine what really went wrong.

As firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices would soon begin to flood the roadsides in anticipation of the Christmas season, concerns will once again surface on the safety of the buying public. As far as the Cordova incident goes, there seems to be a failure in the campaign against substandard materials.