Well, some people appear to never learn lessons from the not-so-distant past incident in Davao City. We mean the use of fire in whatever form supposedly to add up to the artistry in certain program presentations.
This was what seems to be the meaning of the justification by the chief of the Davao City Tourism Office (DCTO) when she denied that her agency violated the ordinance banning the explosion of firecrackers and other firework materials as claimed by some netizens who witnessed the agency’s initiated New Year’s Eve concert.
Claiming that the supposed firecrackers were only lighted sparklers, DCTO head Jennifer Romero said these were “just an artistic interpretation of how we end the performance.” Besides, Romero added, the lighting of sparklers was discussed during their safety and security briefing. Romero however failed to mention who was with the briefing that was conducted, and what office gave the DCTO the authority to use lighted sparklers during the ending of the presentation.
The police though promised during the same forum attended by the DCTO chief that they will still investigate the allegations contained in the netizens’ posts.
The netizens’ posts backed up with videos remind us of an incident years back during a program at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) where the flame of a lighted material caught up the dress of the star dancer in a presentation. The result the lady was engulfed in flame and she suffered third degree burns all over her body.
While the lead dancer was retrieved from that inferno she eventually died. The investigation that later followed eventually led school and police authorities to people who should take the blame. Cases were then filed against those responsible that resulted to the flight of one young and promising woman teacher in the university.
It was a good thing that nothing similar to the USeP incident happened during that show sponsored by the DCTOO on the eve of 2024.
But of course, it could end up with similarities to that of the USeP incident. That is, if the police probe will lead to the discovery of hard evidence that the ones lighted and appeared to have created explosion noise as claimed in the netizens’ post, were really firecrackers. The organizers and those who caused the holding of the concert must be charged.
After all, the law is the law. And it excuses no one, be he or she is working in an instrumentality of government like the DCTOO.
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Wow!…eeer disgusting. This one is another first in the Davao region. We are referring to reports coming from no less than the spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO) XI Maj. Catherine de la Rey. The lady police official said that during the whole of 2023 there was a spike in the number of rape cases in the entire Davao Region. In fact, she told the media that the rape incidents numbering 481 topped among the PNP’s focus crimes. The others are homicide, murder, theft, robbery, physical injury, carnapping and motorcycle theft.
Of course the PRO spokesperson also tried to lighten the impact of the reported increase in rape cases in the region. She did this by saying that “90 percent of the 481 rape cases have been solved and cleared, which means the perpetrators have been identified and charged.”
But would that end the stigma the rape brought to the lives of the victims? And how many of the suspects will end up in jail?
Meanwhile, the victims of the rapists will continue to suffer in silence. What with the thought that those who knew of their cases will ridicule them possibly for the rest of their lives.
