26 jailed in Cebu for illegal sale of firecrackers

CEBU CITY — Twenty-six persons spent New Year in jail after they were caught selling firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices outside designated areas.

Those arrested will be charged for violating Republic Act 7183 in relation to Executive Order No. 28.

“This was the first time that arrests were made because what was done before was only confiscation of firecrackers and the vendors were released. This time, violators were arrested and we will make sure that charges will be filed against them to show that the law has teeth,” said Sr. Supt. Royina Garma, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

The law carries a fine of from R20,000 to R30,000 or imprisonment of from six months to one year.

The series of police operations last December 31 also yielded more than 9,000 assorted firecrackers and pyrotechnics worth R154,519.

The 26 persons were selling outside the firecracker zone at South Road Properties in this city.

Garma said the Cebu police only recorded three firecracker-related injuries during the New Year celebration.

“We also did not have an incident where a police officer was involved in indiscriminate firing. We can say that the celebration of New Year was generally peaceful,” said Garma.

Sr. Supt. Manuel Abrugena, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), assessed that no major incident happened during the New Year celebration.

Only seven firecracker incidents during the Christmas and New Year in 2018, compared to 15 in 2017.