The Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-ACG) took down a total of 115 social media pages amid the ongoing crackdown against online sellers of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials that are prohibited by the government.
PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said they have been actively monitoring the social media against those who have been offering illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials.
“We have been monitoring violations and we would immediately request for the takedown of the sites. It takes a while (due to protocols that should be observed) but we are acting on all of these,” said Yang.
PNP-ACG spokesperson Lt. Wallen Arancillo said that a total of 59 Facebook pages and 54 X (formerly Twitter) accounts were already taken down.
Aside from taking down the sites and pages, Yang said they are also conducting operations against the online sellers of illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials.
On Dec. 23 for instance, PNP-ACG agents arrested two residents of Makati City after they were caught selling illegal firecrackers during the conduct of a buy-bust in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Seized from them were 15 rims of “plapla”, 10 bundles of “kabase”, 27 pieces of atomic bomb and 174 pieces of small atomic bombs.
They sold the confiscated items to a PNP-ACG poseur-buyer for P60,000.
Yang emphasized that selling illegal firecrackers online is prohibited.
He urged the public not to patronize those online sellers and instead report to the PNP-ACG.