63 hurt during holiday revelry in Central Visayas

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy landed in the hospital after a stray bullet hit him while he was riding his bicycle in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion last Saturday, New Year’s Eve.

Junrey Molinas Ancero is among the 63 persons in Central Visayas who were reported injured in incidents involving firecrackers and stray bullets between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, according to data provided by the Department of Health (DOH) 7 yesterday.

Ancero suffered a gunshot wound in the right shoulder. The slug got stuck in his armpit.

He was rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City after the incident at 12 a.m. and was reported to be in stable condition.

Stray bullets

Despite this incident, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Noli Taliño said the celebration of New Year was peaceful.

He said the police station chief of Consolacion, Senior Insp. William Homoc, will not be relieved from his post. “If there were two cases of unsolved stray bullet incidents, he would be relieved,” said Taliño.

Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa issued an order earlier, stating that police station chiefs will be transferred to another assignment if they fail to solve at least two stray bullet incidents.

Supt. Arnel Banzon, the Regional Operations and Plans Division deputy chief, said they recorded four stray-bullet incidents between Dec. 16, 2016 and Jan. 2, 2017—one each in Mandaue City, Bogo City, Talisay City and Consolacion.

He said three persons were injured and no one died.

Better numbers

Only slugs were found in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay and in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City last Dec. 29.

According to DOH 7, of the 63 cases recorded, 43 are from Cebu City and Cebu Province.

The number of firecracker and stray bullet victims reported as of Jan. 2 is still low compared to the same period last when 74 cases were reported.

Based on a report provided by the DOH 7’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu), 61 of the 63 reported cases are firecracker-related injuries.

Two persons from the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental were reported to have sustained blast and burn injuries, which resulted in amputations.

Fifty others, 37 of whom are from Cebu, suffered blast and burn injuries but did not require amputation.

There are also nine persons, including six from Cebu, who sustained eye injuries due to firecracker use.

Their idea

Two persons from Consolacion and Mandaue City were wounded after being hit by a stray bullet.

Majority of the cases or about 60.66 percent participated in the lighting of firecrackers, which resulted in injuries, while the rest were just passing by or just observing before they were hurt.

The firecrackers used include Piccolo, Whistle Bomb, Five Star, Rapid, Fountain, Flying Tiger, Triangle, Boga, Super Lolo, Dragon, Judas Belt, and Rapid.

As of yesterday, the PRO 7 received only 32 firecracker-related incidents from Dec. 16, 2016 to Jan. 2, 2017 from the different police offices—five in Cebu City, one in Mandaue City, 17 in Cebu Province, five in Lapu-Lapu City and five in Bohol.

No firecracker-related injury was recorded in Siquijor Province.

In the same period last year, from Dec. 16, 2015 to Jan. 2, 2016, police recorded 67 firecracker-related and five stray-bullet incidents.

Banzon noted a 52.2-percent decrease in the firecracker-related incidents this year. He attributed the drop to the government’s efforts in going after illegal firecrackers and information drive about the dangers of firecrackers.

Officials of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu reported that the New Year celebration in their cities was “generally peaceful” despite reports of injuries.

Ten persons were brought to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) for firecracker-related injuries.

Young victims

City Councilor David Tumulak identified the victims as residents of Barangays Zapatera, Bulacao, Ermita, Basak Pardo and Kinasang-an.

Of the victims, two were female minors aged 12 and 13, who used Piccolo and Kwitis, respectively.

The other victims who were treated in CCMC were male adults aged 29, 30 and 37, according to Tumulak’s post on Facebook.

They reportedly sustained injuries for using Whistle Bomb.

Tumulak said there were no reports of possession, use and sale of illegal firecrackers.

There were also no reports of stray bullets, indiscriminate firing and fire due to firecrackers.

In Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, seven persons suffered minor injuries during the New Year celebration.

Unlike the Christmas Eve celebration when a man was hit by a stray bullet in Barangay Umapad in Mandaue, no victim of indiscriminate firing was reported to the authorities on New Year’s Eve.

‘Rocket’

Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas, the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) director, said that only one person was injured by a firecracker called “kwitis (rocket).”

He said the injured person, a resident of Barangay Banilad, was brought to the hospital.

No other incident related to the New Year celebration was reported to MCPO.

“I consider (that) Mandaue was very peaceful (when it comes to firecracker and indiscriminate firing incident),” Alanas said.

In Lapu-Lapu, Mayor Paz Radaza received a report that three persons were brought to the City Hospital and another three were brought to the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital after they suffered firecracker-related injuries.

In a separate interview, Chief Insp. Junnel Caadlawon, chief for operations of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO), said they did not receive any report of indiscriminate firing.

He said 10 teams were deployed to the different barangays of the city to monitor the villages.