A suspected victim of stray bullet and a boy who lost a hand due to a prohibited type of pyrotechnic device were among the nine fireworks-related injuries recorded in the city during the holiday merrymaking.
As of press time Friday, January 3, the Baguio City Police Office was verifying the alleged stray bullet incident where the victim was reportedly a 32-year-old male from San Luis Village who sustained an abrasion on the right side and back of his body. He was treated at the hospital and subsequently discharged.
Another unfortunate case was a 14-year-old male from Military Cutoff who got his right hand mangled due to the prohibited device known as crying cow or pla pla resulting the amputation of his right arm.
The City Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (CESU) of the City Health Services Office (CHSO) said the incident was the first case of fireworks-caused amputation in the city since 2009 when documentation of fireworks-related injuries was strengthened.
The other cases logged by the CESU from 12 midnight of Dec. 24, 2024 to 5:59 a.m.
Jan. 3, 2025 were:
A 14-year-old male from Gabriela Silang who sustained an eye injury due to “boga”; a nine-year-old male from Asin Road with a right thumb blast injury due to Five Star; a
10-year-old male from Alfonso Tabora with blast injuries in the abdomen, thigh and firearm due to boga; and a seven -year old male from Bakakeng Central who sustained eye injury again due to boga;
A 13-year-old male, Pinget (boga), eye injury, active, treated and sent home; a 27-year-old female from Asin Road (kwitis), eye injury, treated and sent home; and a 16-year-old male, Gibraltar (boga), second degree burn, posterior calf area, treated and sent home.
The CESU said the number of cases, although still not final as surveillance runs until Jan. 4, appeared to be lower than last year’s record of 12 cases.
“Boga,” or an improvised noisemaker made out of polyvinyl pipe which is among the devices banned under the law figured prominently in the surveillance having caused most of the injuries with victims mostly minors.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said it is unfortunate that such incidents had to happen when the city implemented the ordinance prohibiting the sale and use of banned devices.
The BCPO launched a crackdown on prohibited devices in several operations in different barangay that yielded loads of banned devices and perpetrators who were mostly minors. – Aileen P. Refuerzo-Baguio PIO
