ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan 4 (PIA) -- The Police Regional Office (PRO)-9, in its New Year Celebration Assessment for the year 2023 has recorded nine (9) firecracker-related injuries, the same number of firecracker-related injuries recorded in the previous year.

Out of the nine recorded incidents, one was recorded in Zamboanga del Norte, three in Zamboanga del Sur, three in Zamboanga Sibugay, two in Zamboanga City, and no recorded incident in Isabela City.

Despite no significant reduction of firecracker-related injuries compared to the prior year, the PRO-9 has zero casualties on stray bullet for the new year as compared to the previous year wherein one reported stray bullet incident was recorded.

This is a result of the continuous intensification of the implementation of Enhanced Managing Police Operations, especially on loose firearms and Oplan Katok which were among the strategies conducted to have a safe and peaceful yuletide season.

Meanwhile, Police authorities in Zamboanga City have confiscated assorted firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in line with the strict enforcement of Ordinance 569, or the Firecracker Law during the holidays leading to New Year’s Eve.

Among those confiscated that were being sold in sidewalks and alleys downtown were kwitis, sparklers, silver fountains, five-star triangles, toy cap guns, cosmos ring caps, seven colors, three-star, watusi, trompillo, luces, sputnik and airwolf, among others. The confiscated items were worth almost Php 50,000. (RVC/EDT/CCP/PIA9 with reports from Police Regional Office-9)