For violating rules, 18 SRP stalls won’t have a blast

Police officials stopped 18 stall owners in the South Road Properties from selling firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices yesterday because they had violated rules that were meant to keep their customers safe.

Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, director of the Police Regional Office 7, said that some were caught selling goods that lacked the required safety labels.

Last June, President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that calls for community fireworks displays and sets stricter rules on the use of some firecrackers, to bring down the number of holiday injuries.

Eighteen stalls that sell pyrotechnic products at the South Road Properties in Cebu City were temporarily closed yesterday after the owners allegedly violated safety rules.

Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, Police Regional Office 7 director, led the closure of the stalls.

He said some owners were caught selling imported pyrotechnics, while other products have no safety labels including the Philippine Standard and Import Commodity Clearance marks.

“Let us not patronize fireworks and firecrackers that are not authorized,” said Espino.

The illegal pyrotechnic products were confiscated. Espino said they are enforcing Republic Act 7183, or the law regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices” to protect the public from harm.

He reminded the barangay officials to designate their firecracker zones.

Stall owner Nilda Manggapis said she did not know about the security requisites before they can sell fireworks.

She thanked Espino for allowing them to comply with the documents so she can open her stall again.

Manggapis opened her stall hours before the police inspected the area. /