CRACKDOWN. Two police officers from the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 11, inspect and confiscate illegal firecrackers at some firecracker stalls along Tabora Street in Divisoria, Manila on Dec. 27, 2022. The Department of Trade and Industry has released a list of certified fireworks and firecrackers to guide consumers who plan to usher in the New Year with a bang. (PNA file photo by Yancy Lim)
MANILA – Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday called for the continued implementation of former president Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order (EO) 28 which bans the use of firecrackers.
This came after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. called on local government units to ban firecrackers and regulate the conduct of fireworks displays in their jurisdictions, to bring down fireworks-related incidents during the holiday season.
"Obligado ang [present] admin pagtibayin ang dating EO (The present administration is obligated to implement the EO)," Marcos said in a statement.
The lawmaker underscored that under the Administrative Code, EOs are acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in the implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers.
"So until there is another order from the Executive that supersedes EO 28-2017, the administration has to implement it," she said.
Marcos also said she sees the "good wisdom" behind the EO 28 which prevents "misuse of firecrackers" that quickly "turn a celebration into a medical emergency or even a tragedy."
"Let us welcome the new year with our fingers, limbs, and lives intact," Marcos said.
On June 20, 2017, Duterte signed EO 28, promulgating stricter rules and regulations on the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices to prevent injuries and casualties recorded every holiday season. (PNA)
