ORMOC CITY— A 13-year-old boy sustained an eye injury after an improvised cannon locally known as “boga-boga” accidentally exploded while he was playing with it in Barangay Puertobello, Merida, Leyte on December 27, police reported.
The victim, identified by authorities as alias “Makoy,” a Grade 8 student and resident of Sitio Sambag, Barangay Puertobello, was injured when the firecracker detonated as he was checking it inside a hole, hitting his left eye.
In a delayed report, the Merida Municipal Police Station (MPS) said it received initial information from the Regional Tactical Operations Center (RTOC) at around 12:43 p.m. on Monday regarding a firecracker-related incident within its area of responsibility. Initial verification with the Rural Health Unit (RHU), Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) yielded no reported case.
Further verification continued until December 30 at about 2:30 p.m., when authorities confirmed the firecracker-related injury.
Police said a responding team proceeded to the area and conducted an investigation, which revealed that the improvised firecracker exploded while the boy was handling it.
The victim was brought on December 28 to PC Cordero Clinic in Ormoc City and was later referred to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) in Tacloban City. He was given prescribed medication and eye drops and was advised to return for a follow-up check-up on January 7, 2026.
The firecracker involved in the incident was confiscated and turned over to the Merida MPS for proper disposition.
(ROBERT DEJON)
