The Philippine National Police (PNP) will arrest those who will use firecrackers outside a designated zone.

"We will conduct an arrest because that is a clear violation of the order released especially under the EO 28 that mandates common fireworks display areas and the cities and municipalities also issued an ordinance to enforce the provisions of EO 28," PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a radio interview on Friday.

"We will use this to implement the law that prohibits the use of any firecrackers in the residential areas especially if a suspect was caught in the act of committing a crime, we can effect a warrantless arrest and inquest the suspect for violation of RA 7183 that regulates the use or selling of prohibited firecrackers," she added.

Fajardo said those who will be arrested for use and selling of illegal firecrackers may face a punishment of minimum of six months to maximum of one year imprisonment and fine of not less than P20,000 up to P30,000.

She said the PNP has started to intensify its operation against the use and selling of illegal firecrackers at midnight of Thursday.

"We have arrested many suspects and we will continue that, as we monitored a lot of firecracker-related injuries, that is why we will continue to monitor that," said Fajardo.

Fajardo, in a message on Viber, said police arrested nine people for the sale, possession and use of prohibited firecracker since December 16.

Police confiscated up to 361,968 firecrackers during the same period. Robina Asido/DMS