OVER P107,630 worth of illegal firecrackers were seized by the Regional Civil Security Unit (RCSU) in Western Visayas at the Reclamation Area in Bacolod City on Wednesday afternoon, December 26.
Senior Police Officer 1 Joshua Barile, head of Firearms and Explosives Section RCSU- Western Visayas, said on Thursday, December 27, the recovered items were owned by John Harley Vertudes, a firecracker vendor at the Reclamation Area.
He said they were conducting an inspection at the firecracker zone when some men were seen unloading the firecrackers and pyrotechnics devices from a container van in the area.
He added that Vertudes failed to present a permit to transport and proof of purchase from the authorized dealer.
Police recovered 12 pieces of Momus, four pieces of the Big Ben, eight pieces of Amber, six pieces of Honorable, 23 packs of 5 colors, six sacks of Sparklers, 40 packs of 500 ring chines Katay, 24 packs of 1,000 ring chines Katay, two bundles of Luces, 10 packs of 7 Sparklers, 10 packs of 100 Sec. Crackling Assault, 38 boxes of steel beauty, 10 pieces of diamond prosperity fountain, 45 packs of green sticks, 18 boxes of Saturn missile, 20 boxes of green environmental, and 50 boxes of small silver fountain.
Barile said all the firecrackers vendors are required to get a permit to transport at the RCSU to transport the firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices from the dealers’ warehouse to the retailers' stalls.
He said that Vertudes has a special permit to sell firecrackers at the designated area, but he failed to secure a permit to transport the items from Barangay Alijis to the Reclamation Area.
“The firecracker vendors are already aware that they need to secure a permit to transport, but Vertudes failed to do it,” he added.
The recovered items are now in the custody of RCSU- Western Visayas and no charges were filed against the owner.
Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, head of the market coordinating and monitoring task force, said the RCSU- Western Visayas already approved 56 special permits of the firecrackers vendors to sell in the designated area at the Reclamation Area.
“All of them were already reminded to follow the rules and regulations in the selling of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices to avoid confiscation or penalties,” he said.
The firecracker vendors started to sell their products on December 23.
Aside from the 56 firecrackers vendors, Pineda said the RCSU- Western Visayas is also set to release the special permits of the nine firecrackers vendors to sell at the Reclamation Area.