National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos reminded on Wednesday all police units to constantly coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) to synchronize data compilation on firecracker-related injuries in their areas of jurisdiction.
“We have previous experiences that some victims aren’t reporting to the PNP (Philippine National Police), especially those with only minor injuries. The tendency is, these cases will not be recorded in our police blotter, while the hospitals or the DOH has taken note of them,” Carlos said.
In ordering units to strictly coordinate with the DOH, Carlos wanted to avoid “inconsistent” data among government agencies that may confuse the public.
“Accurate numbers are important to assess the result of our campaign for a safe and orderly celebration of the New Year. It won’t hurt anything if we just double check the figures,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PNP will conduct inspections, confiscate and destroy prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices as ordered by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
The PNP was reacting to the statement of the secretary that it is the PNP’s responsibility to enforce policies regulating the manufacture and use of firecrackers.