ALARMED BY CASUALTY FIGURE, PIMENTEL PRESSES FOR BAN ON FIRECRACKERS

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today maintained that the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers should be prohibited to protect the people from harm during the Yuletide season and other celebrations.

Pimentel said no amount of safety reminders from health and law enforcement authorities can prevent accidents from occurring when revelers handle firecrackers or pyrotechnics because of their highly dangerous nature.

Despite the government warnings, 446 persons were injured during the New Year's celebration.

Pimentel said the casualty figure is still high although this was lower than the previous New Year celebration but this only showed that the people unnecessarily expose themselves to danger when igniting firecrackers.

"That the list of casualties remains long should prod this spineless government to ban the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers," the senator said.

He called on local government officials to emulate the examples of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Marikina City Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando who have imposed a firecracker ban in their respective cities.

"At the same time fireworks display should be allowed only under the strictest supervision and only in specific safe area. We should not wait for bigger tragedies to happen," Pimentel said.