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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP targets online sellers in crackdown on illegal firecrackers

PNP targets online sellers in crackdown on illegal firecrackers

Published Nov 28, 2025 04:56 pm
(File photo: Noel Pabalate / MANILA BULLETIN)
(File photo: Noel Pabalate / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) broadened its crackdown on illegal firecrackers to include a sweeping campaign against online sellers.
Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered police units to dismantle digital marketplaces that have allowed banned products to quietly re-emerge ahead of the holiday season.
He said the PNP is adapting to the shift in sellers’ tactics by going after the digital black market.
The initiative expands traditional surveillance beyond known firecracker hubs and into social media platforms, private group chats, and online storefronts where prohibited pyrotechnics are increasingly being traded.
“We in the Philippine National Police have to do our part in ensuring safe Christmas and New Year revelries. And it starts not only with the deployment of our personnel but also to deny access to illegal firecrackers,” he said in a statement on Friday, Nov. 28.
“It's not only physical stores that we are monitoring now. Even online posts that promote or sell prohibited firecrackers are part of our regular monitoring,” he added.
Police units have been ordered to intensify inspections in both urban and provincial areas, not just in traditional hotspots such as Bocaue, Bulacan.
Coordination is underway with other government agencies to track individuals engaged in unauthorized online selling, many of whom use courier services and discreet listings to avoid detection.
Local commanders were instructed to immediately respond to violations and ensure strict enforcement of firecracker regulations as authorities anticipate a rise in attempts to circulate banned items in the last weeks of the year.
Nartatez appealed to the public to help cut off demand for dangerous pyrotechnics by reporting illegal sellers, both on the ground and online.
He said community vigilance remains central to preventing injuries and fires linked to unsafe firecrackers.
“Our goal is a safe, peaceful, and meaningful celebration of Christmas and the New Year. We are working with the public to prevent the spread of prohibited firecrackers to ensure everyone’s safety,” he said.

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PNP firecrackers Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. Christmas New Year
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