5 hit by stray bullets in ARMM, Region 12 during New Year's revelry
Local News • 22:03 PM Fri Jan 1, 2015
964
By:
Edwin Fernandez with reports from Ferdinandh Cabrera
Health staff of Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City attend to victims of firecrackers shortly before the New Year. (Photo by Ferdinadh Cabrera)
COTABATO CITY –- Health officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
today reported zero firecracker related injury but admitted four persons were
hurt by stray bullets during the New Year’s revelry.
Another person was
hit by stray bullet in Cotabato City, which is part of Region-12.
We have been effective
in our ‘Iwas Paputok’ campaign as there was not a single persons injured by
firecrackers,” Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, ARMM health chief, said even as he lauded
the health front liners and local officials for their help in educating the
public on the dangers of firecrackers.
However, despite
repeated calls for gun owners in the region not to fire guns in welcoming 2016,
four persons became victims of stray bullets in Jolo and in Malabang, Lanao del
Sur.
Sinolinding said two
of the stray bullet victims were minors, aged 12 and 13, a female and a male,
respectively. They were injured in the
head and arms and remained confined at Jolo provincial hospital.
The third Jolo victim
of stray bullet was a 32 year old man, identified as Nadzmier Jikiri, 32 who
was hit in his legs. He was released
after receiving medical treatment.
In Malabang, Lanao
del Sur, a 41-year-old man sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his legs and
arms during the revelry. He was rushed
to Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.
In Cotabato City, a
50-year-old man from Barangay Marquez, this city, sustained a gunshot wound in
his foot and went home after treatment at 2 a.m. today.
Jenny Ventura, focal
person of DOH-12’s Iwas Paputok” campaign, said 64 persons have been injured
by firecrackers from Dec. 21, 2015 to 12 noon January 1, 2016.
Region 12 is composed of the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Saranggani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and Gen. Santos City.South Cotabato has the highest number of injuries so far with 23 cases reported since December 20 this year.North Cotabato came in second
with 16, Sultan Kudarat five and Saranggani three.Cotabato
City has nine cases while Gen. Santos City has eight.
Ventura said monitoring of
firecracker related injuries of DOH will last until January 5.