Cavite town declares total ban on firecrackers

A fire that destroyed six shoe shops in Rosario, Cavite at past midnight on Sunday prompted the local government to declare a total ban on firecrackers during the New Year's Eve revelry. Town Mayor Jose Ricafrente Jr ordered the ban after learning that a “disabled" reveler started the fire, which destroyed property initially estimated at P1 million. “Bawal na ang magpaputok ... Itu-turnover namin sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) para ma-drug test, para malaman ba kung dapat ipa-rehab o ano (We won't allow firecrackers anyway. We will turn over the suspect to the DSWD to have him undergo a drug test, and determine if he should undergo rehabilitation)," Ricafrente said in an interview on dwIZ radio. Ricafrente said he ordered the firecracker ban after noting that it can cause similar incidents during the revelry in welcoming the new year. He also reminded the local police to strictly enforce the ban on using firearms. Initial investigation showed the fire started at 12:25 a.m. and reached the second alarm before firefighters put it out at 1:05 a.m. Arson investigators estimated the damage to property at P1 million. Ricafrente said authorities arrested Albert Espinosa, 31, after an eight-year-old girl said she saw him lighting firecrackers then throwing a cigarette in the direction of the stores. Rosario is a first-class town with a population of at least 73,665 people in 15,780 households. As this developed, firecracker makers continued to feel the pinch of the government’s anti-firecracker drive this year as Quezon City-based vendors complained of low sales. Radio dzBB reported that vendors stationed at White Plains subdivision in Quezon City even offered a 15-percent discount to buyers just to boost sales. The vendors said that if they fail to sell the fireworks, they would just use them to welcome the New Year. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) stepped up its drive against firecrackers by ordering its personnel to confiscate the piccolo. PNP directorate for operations head Dir. Silverio Alarcio Jr. ordered the seizure of the piccolo after health authorities noted it was a leading cause of firecracker-related injuries. - GMANews.TV