Police seal their firearms
NEW YEAR REVELRY
POLICEMEN around the country simultaneously sealed their firearms on Decembe 27 to avoid any indiscriminate firing, especially during the New Year’s Eve celebration.
P/Supt. Benjamin Ocomen, community relations officer and spokesperson of the Pangasinan Police Office, said the sealing of firearms, an annual rite of the Philippine National Police, involves covering nozzles of government-issued guns with masking tape, validated with the signature of the local chief of police.
The sealed guns, he added, will be videotaped and photographed so that attempts to forge the signature will be easily discovered in the post-celebration inspection.
Those found guilty of the offense will be charged with illegal discharge of firearms and will be removed from the service.
Ocomen called on civilians with guns to likewise seal and silence their firearms.
“Ang baril, pag pinutok sa taas, ganun din kalakas ang pagbagsak ng ligaw na bala,” he explained.
WOUNDED
Meanwhile, THE Region 1 Medical Center has already reported four victims of firecracker-related incidents as of December 29.
Dr. Michael Canto, spokesperson of R1MC, said the 29 victims include three children and a 59 year-old man.
Canto reiterated the Department of Health’s call to “say no to firecrackers”.
Last week, the DoH released a CD with firecracker sounds as part of its campaign to discourage people from using firecrackers and other pyrotechnic materials to welcome the New Year.
“May mangilan-ngilan pa ring biktima na dumarating, ibig sabihin meron pang hindi natututo,” Canto laments.
He noted that children are most vulnerable to firecracker risks and appealed to parents to dissuade them from using these.
”Huwag magpaputok, walang safe na paputok sa mga bata,” he stressed.
Last year, R1MC listed 49 cases of firecracker-related injuries, of which 28 were passive victims while 21 were active victims.
Canto explained that passive victims are those who were hit or injured by firecrackers which they did not use while the active victims are those who directly fired-up the pyrotechnic materials.
The R1MC is now on ‘code white alert’, meaning doctors and nurses are on stand- by for possible victims of paputok.
Medical personnel, as frontliners, are not allowed to go on leave on December 31. (Venue H. Sarmiento, PIA-Pangasinan)
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