1 dead, 169 hurt in MManila New Year festivities — police

At least one person was killed while 169 were injured in the New Year revelry in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region Police Office said early Saturday. NCRPO chief Director Nicanor Bartolome cited initial information reaching him that the fatality was a woman who was hit by a stray bullet in the Bagumbayan area in Taguig City. “Sa kasamaang palad, sa Bagumbayan sa Taguig, namatay ito (It was unfortunate that the resident in Taguig died from the stray bullet)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He initially identified the woman only as Myrna. He said the incident occurred about 15 minutes into the New Year. Bartolome also cited a second victim of a stray bullet in Caloocan City, but did not give further details. On the other hand, he said three more were injured when a man went on a shooting spree in Pulang Lupa in Las Piñas City, but was arrested after the incident. However, Bartolome insisted this year’s revelry was relatively peaceful compared to last year, saying there were fewer incidents involving lighting of firecrackers. Citing reports from the five police districts under his command, he said the 169 firecracker injuries included 36 in Northern Metro Manila; 34 in Southern Metro Manila; 45 in Quezon City; eight in Manila; and 46 in Eastern Metro Manila. “Generally mas naging maganda naman, very peaceful. Naging successful ang kampanya kaunti ang nagpapaputok (It was relatively peaceful. Apparently the campaign against firecrackers was successful)," he said.. Other victims Radio dzBB reported one of the victims of stray bullets, a 14-year-old girl, was watching a New Year countdown on television in Pasay City when she was hit in the foot. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Also in Pasay City, a reveler was reported injured after being hit by a motorcycle shortly after he lighted a firecracker along Aurora Boulevard. The reveler, initially identified as Fernando Teroy, was running away from a firecracker he lighted when a motorcycle driven by Rommel Apostol hit him, the report said. In Manila, at least 21 people were rushed to the Tondo General Hospital for treatment. The injured included a man who suffered burns from a pla-pla. At the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, a minor was bloodied after being hit by a tricycle shortly after lighting a whistle bomb. On the other hand, at least 29 revelers were rushed to the Philippine General Hospital for treatment of revelry-related injuries. Six more were rushed to the Ospital ng Maynila, the dzBB report added. In Makati City, at least 13 were rushed to the Ospital ng Makati, 11 of them victims of firecrackers. Two of the firecracker victims were as young as 6 and 7. Another victim included a man who was injured in the ear after a “kwitis" fell on him. In eastern Metro Manila, several drunk revelers were rushed to the Amang Rodriguez Medical Center after figuring in revelry-related accidents. At least 22 were rushed to the Rizal Medical Center, six of them figuring in a New Year rumble, according to a report by dzBB’s Paulo Santos. — LBG, GMANews.TV