DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 1 Jan) – The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reported to have confiscated over 50 “lantakas” and similar devices during the New Year revelry.
Various spot reports from different police stations sent to the media Wednesday morning stated that aside from bamboo “lantakas,” the other confiscated improvised devices were made from tin cans and PVC pipes.
In a police operation in Purok 3, Brgy. 23-C on Tuesday evening, six tin can cannons were confiscated, with two minor individuals endorsed to the Sta. Ana Police Station’s Women’s Child Protection Desk (WCPD).
At 11:15 p.m., two more tin can cannons left behind by fleeing minors were confiscated as well at San Isidro, R. Castillo St. in Barangay Leon Garcia.
Officers from the Toril Police Station reported that they confiscated six tin can cannons and two PVC pipe cannons in Brgy. Toril Proper, five tin can cannons and one PVC pipe cannon in Brgy. Bangkas Heights, six tin can cannons and two PVC pipe cannons in Brgy. Daliao, and four tin can cannons and two PVC pipe cannons in Brgy. Lubogan.
Meanwhile, eight improvised bamboo and tin can cannons were confiscated in Christ the King Street in Brgy. Santo Niño and four improvised gas-operated tin can cannons from Purok 2, Mangga Street, Brgy. Tugbok. However, the minor individuals evaded arrest as well.
In Bago Gallera, 10 improvised tin can cannons and PVC cannons were also confiscated, as concerned citizens would tell some minors, who also “evaded” police officers, were using flammable liquids to operate them.
The DCPO reported confiscating 132 pyrotechnic devices in 14 different police operations from December 15, 2024 to January 1, 2025.
Col. Hansel Marantan, DCPO chief, said in an interview on Monday (Dec. 30) that they would strengthen their operations prohibiting use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices, compliant to the Firecracker and Other Pyrotechnic Devices Ordinance of 2017.
“We don’t want unnecessary noise for the New Year. Long before I came here, we already had ordinances about that,” Marantan said.
“We concentrate more on those firecrackers because the mayor doesn’t like them. He reiterated it many times over,” he added. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
