Injured	Killed
6	0

Date: 28 December 2013
Source: Journal Online

AT least six persons have been injured by stray bullets this month, almost a year since seven-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella was killed by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve, a case the Caloocan City police or the National Bureau of Investigation has yet to solve.

“Hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin. Masakit sa loob, kaya lang kailangan natin maghintay pa rin,” the slain girl’s  father Aquilino Ella Jr. said expressing his family’s grief over the death ofStephanie and their cry for justice. Their only consolation is that they have a new daughter named Clarice Nicole who is said to look a lot like Stephanie.

Stephanie was watching fireworks outside their house in Caloocan City on Dec. 31, 2012 when a stray bullet hit her in the head. She died while undergoing treatment in a local hospital.

The NBI, on orders of Justice Secretary Leila M. de Lima joined the investigation into the incident in a widely-publicized move that so far has not yielded any positive results.

Although authorities have noted a steady decline in the number of stray bullet victims since 2010, some trigger-happy people continue to fire their guns in the air unmindful of the danger it poses to innocent civilians. There were 39 stray bullet incidents in 2010; 29 in 2011 and 25 in 2012. 

For 2013 so far at least five have been reported injured by stray b last Monday morning while sleeping in his home in Yolanda-devastated Ormoc City.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Wilber M. Mayor identified the five victims as Francisco Salazar, 19, of Sampaloc, Manila who was hit in his left foot; Genalyn Soncio, 22, a housewife from Plomolok, South Cotabato whose left arm was grazed by a stray bullet last December 20; Deo Tamboog of Itogon, Benguet, (injured in the leg); Rommel Giroy,40, hit in both legs on Christmas Day and Donapi Padol, 31, of Iloilo City who was hit in the nose on Christmas Eve. There were also reports that one Flordeliza Pacquiao was hit in the thigh by a stray bullet in Cagayan de Oro City on Christmas Eve. The bullet reportedly came from a gun fired by one of several men who figured in a riot.

PNP Public Information Office head Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore C. Sindac said all these cases including that of Ella are still being investigated.  

“We are still continuing the investigation so this is not a closed case,” he said in referring to Ella’s case. 


‘Cracker injuries’

TheDepartment of Health yesterday reported a 4 percent reduction in the number of fireworks-related injuries from Dec. 21 to 27 compared to the same period last year.

Based on a report from the DoH-National Epidemiology Center, a total of 140 fireworks-related injuries were reported by the sentinel hospitals as of 6 a.m. December 27.

Of the total, 134 were due to fireworks, 5 were due to stray bullets and one case of fireworksingestion. There was no fatality.

Most cases, 62 or 44%, came from the National Capital Region, followed by Region 10 with 17 cases or 12% and Regions 6 and 7, with 11 cases each or 8%.

Of the 134 fireworks injuries, 114 or 85% were males. Ages ranged from 1 – 65 years. This year, there were 44 or 33% children aged 10 years below who were injured. 

About 42 or 31% of those injured were passive users. At least 118 or 88% sustained blast injuries not requiring amputation. There were 11 or 8 % eye injuries.

The top three fireworks causing injuries were piccolo (82), unknown firecrackers (9), and kwitis (7).

“Children should not be allowed to handle fireworks. We can prevent injuries,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona reminded the public.