Davao City has maintained its zero firecrackers and stray bullet-related casualties during the celebration of Christmas eve.
Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief of clinics Dr. Ricardo Audan said not one casualty was brought to their emergency room for treatment on the night of December 24 up to 25.
Audan also said that from December 21 when they started the code white alert, no one has been brought to the SPMC even from neighboring provinces with no firecracker ban ordinance.
“Ang monitoring ng firecracker injury and stray bullet injury in relation to yuletide season is on going up to Jan 6, 2019 (Our monitoring for the firecracker and stray bullet injuries in relation to yuletide season is on going up to January 6, 2019),” he said.
The city did not experience firecracker related injuries during Christmas celebration since President Rodrigo Duterte who came back as mayor in 2001, gave his stern warning against the use of firecrackers although the city council passed the ordinance in 2002 to totally ban its use here.
He advised the public for this coming New Year’s day welcome not to use any explosives or fireworks but to use improvised noise makers.
“Let’s meet the New Year with a big big bang using improvised sounds like lata,kaldero,siren with our vehicles etc,” he said.
Meanwhile, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) city director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum bared that no recorded arrest in relation to the firecracker ban ordinance in the city during Christmas eve.
Tagum said the 12 police stations in the city did not receive any reports of people who were using firecrackers and pyrotechnics while celebrating.
“Indeed it’s Silent Night and Holy Night in the city,” he said.
He said with this, people in the city are already aware of the consequence they might get if they insist to use firecrackers.
Tagum said he is thankful to the Davaoeños for the cooperation and support to them by following the ordinance.
He also said maybe the appeal of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to the people to report violators might be the factor why people did not violate.
Tagum still vowed to arrest all violators of the said ordinance if they wi caught anyone.
He said there will be mobile patrol units in the city that will go around especially in the interior areas to make sure no violators could get away with them.
A person found guilty will suffer a maximum fine of P5,000 or six months imprisonment as stated in the 16-year-old City Ordinance 060-02 Series of 2002 which prohibits m“the Manufacture, Sale, Distribution, Possession or Use of Firecrackers or Pyrotechnic Devices and such other similar devices and the exploding of Firecrackers or other similar explosives within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City.”
Tagum also said aside from no firecracker ban violators reported, there were also no untoward incident happened in the city.
However, he said the DCPO will still be on high alert status following the threats that could possibly occur in the city.
