Duterte Says He Will Only Allow LGUs, Police to Use Firecrackers

President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would allow only local government units and the police to use firecrackers during New Year revelries in a "compromise" with manufacturers.

So as not to deprive firecracker makers in Bocaue, Bulacan of their income, Duterte said they should sell their products only to LGUs and chiefs of police. This will also ensure that safety protocols are observed, he added.

"Ipagbili na lang ninyo sa LGUs. Marami yan, kikita kayo. Sell it only to the police. Ang pulis ang magsabi sa mayor," Duterte said in his weekly public address.

For the 2021 New Year celebration, the Department of Health said fewer firecracker-related injuries were reported as Filipinos welcomed a more somber new year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifty firecracker-related injuries were reported from Dec. 21, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

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The tally, according to Duque, is 85% lower than the 340 cases reported during the same period for the 2020 New Year revelries, and  89% lower than the five-year average for the same period from 2015-2019.

Several local government units have also prohibited the use of firecrackers for the 2021 New Year in a bid to avoid firecracker-related injuries.

In 2017, President Duterte signed an executive order that limited the use of firecrackers.

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