Thursday, December 25, 2008 No firecrackers, gun replicas for sale in Silay
THE Silay City Philippine National Police (PNP) said they observed that not a single store is selling firecrackers and gun replicas in the city.
PNP chief Jerry Bartolome said they are conducting regular inspections around the market and in some display areas in the city where firecrackers could be sold.
Part of the daily-intensified police alert around the city is a regular check on firecracker displays to ensure that banned firecrackers and pyrotechnics, as well as gun replicas, are not sold.
But Bartolome said the absence of firecrackers for sale in stores around Silay may be temporary and does not mean the city will celebrate the yuletide bash without firecrackers.
"We will still conduct regular checks because there is a possibility that firecrackers will be sold in stores just a day before Christmas and we will make sure that all the firecrackers will be of the size allowed by the PNP for sale. Otherwise, oversized firecrackers and gun replicas will be confiscated," he said.
Bartolome said the recent PNP operation where operatives of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) recovered 10 sacks of banned firecrackers in the town of Hinigaran might be the reason that firecrackers are not being sold in Silay.
Last week, Negros police recovered P10,000 worth of pyrotechnics believed to be owned by Mary Diaresco, who was also arrested last year for violation of Republic Act 7183 or the Firecrackers Law.
Bartolome added they would intensify the implementation of Provincial Director Manuel Felix's order on regular checks against the selling of gun replicas.
Noppo is conducting a massive drive to eliminate the sale of gun replicas around the province, especially those that look like "real guns".
Felix earlier said gun replicas can be used as weapons for robbery and other nefarious activities, especially at night. (Jerson O. Coronica)
