New Year 2026: Nartatez orders crackdown vs illegal firecrackers

MANILA, Philippines — Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. tasked the agency to intensify its crackdown on illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices ahead of the New Year revelries. The PNP previously said 144,866 illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices had been confiscated by police across the country amid the holiday