The Philippine government is debating whether to ban the use of firecrackers during the Christmas season especially as we usher in the new year with an increasing number of firecracker blast victims.
Last year鈥檚 Christmas season saw an increase in the incidence of firecracker accidents compared to聽 the previous year. Some revelers said this was needed to drive away the negative energy after聽 the country was hit by an earthquake and supertyphoon.
Lighting firecrackers is a tradition borrowed from the Chinese who believe that loud noise would drive away聽 bad spirits in order to welcome the New Year.聽 Instead we see the reverse of good fortune because many innocent people become victims.
It takes political will聽 like that of Davao City Mayor Digong Duterte to be effective if any ban is imposed against firecrackers.聽 Willpower is聽 wanting, however,聽 specifically in the ban on indiscriminate firing of guns. There were several victims聽聽 of stray bullets despite the聽 police ritual of taping the聽 barrels of service weapons before the New Year.
The police have a hard time looking for the culprits. Few are sent to jail.
A government ban on the use of firecrackers should be seriously looked into in view of these clear disadvantages.
* * *
Philip Zafra, Tisa barangay captain and now ABC president of Cebu City,聽 is looking at more challenges facing the ABC聽 in the delivery of basic services. It鈥檚 an understatement to say that barangays are the first line of defense when it comes to basic services just like聽 garbage collection.
It cannot be denied that some聽 barangays failed miserably in waste collection. I hope the new聽 ABC president can address this issue.
Another issue is the delivery of health services by聽 barangays since the Cebu City Medical Center is not fully functioning because of聽 damage caused by the Oct. 15 earthquake.
Barangay health centers should be strengthened . As an ex officio city councilor, Zafra鈥檚 entry聽 would not change the political equation in the city legislature which remains dominated by the聽 Bando Osme帽a-Pundok Kauswagan but he can help as an ally of the聽 mayor by advocating his programs and defending the mayor from attacks in the council.
For those hoping for a more聽 cooperative city council, sorry but聽 this can鈥檛 be expected with the 2016 national and local elections聽 fast approaching.聽 The council will be聽 very aggressive in blocking the mayor鈥檚 programs聽 to help his聽 arch rival plan a political comeback in 2016.
The mayor will have to be more aggressive and innovative in making his programs click with the people,聽 not the council.
* * *
I think it鈥檚聽 important that the Province of Cebu聽 repair the damaged Cebu International Convention Center especially that Cebu is hosting some meetings of the Asean Summit聽 we are looking into hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) conference and the International聽 Eucharistic Congress of the Catholic Church.
It is unfortunate that the earthquake that struck this part of the country damaged the CICC. Allegations that the cost of building the CICC during the term of Gov. Gwen Garcia was bloated聽 because of graft and corruption that accompanied its construction.
It鈥檚 taking time for the Office of the Ombudsman to wrap up its investigation of the case. Many high-profile cases handled by the office have not yet been resolved. I am hoping the Ombudsman聽 becomes more聽 aggressive in its campaign.