Village councilor arrested for firecracker use in Iloilo City

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Just hours before the new year, police arrested a barangay kagawad in Iloilo City for lighting a firecracker outside the area designated under Executive Order 28.

The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas reported that Kagawad Ricky Paloa of Barangay Alalasan of Lapuz District in Iloilo City ignited a firecracker outside the designated zone in the city around 9 pm of December 31, 2017.

Lapuz police chief Senior Inspector Rey Sumagaysay said Paloa insisted that he did not know about the firecracker designated zone under EO 28, which is the public plaza. (READ: Duterte limits use of firecrackers to ‘community displays’)

In June, President Rodrigo Duterte signed EO 28, banning private citizens from using firecrackers or staging their own firecracker displays at their homes.

The EO also mandates “community fireworks displays” instead as designated places for the use of firecrackers under supervision of the Philippine National Police. (READ: Locations of firecracker zones in Metro Manila for New Year’s Eve)

Sumagaysay stressed that ahead of the New Year’s Eve festivities, Iloilo law enforcers had campaigned about EO 28.

Local government units were mandated to assign designated firecracking zones in their respective areas in compliance to the executive order.

Lapuz police also reported that two other people were arrested in Lapuz due to firecrackers – Jeffrey Blanco, 29, of Barangay Luna Street; and Jefferson Claro, 41, of Barangay Divinigracia. 

Police Officer 3 Manuel Porras III said the two suspects ignited firecrackers outside the designated zone. – Rappler.com