Overall celebration of holiday seasons has been "resoundingly successful" according to Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday.

"We are happy to announce that the overall celebration of holiday seasons, based on our monitoring of the different festivities starting December 16 until midnight of December 31, was resoundingly successful implementation of Ligtas Paskuhan 2018 where the security and safety situation during this period was a lot more safer and peaceful compare to 2017," Durana said in a radio interview over dzBB.

Durana said as far as security and safety is concerned PNP has recorded a 50 to 80 percent decline in cases of stay bullets, illegal discharge of firearms, burning due to firecrackers and other firecracker-related incidents.

However, PNP saw an increase in the possession of illegal firecrackers.

"From 41 in 2017, we now have 53 incidents on the illegal use and possession of firecrackers. Out of that 53 incidents, we arrested 40 individuals," he said.

Durana said cases of illegal discharge of firearms decreased 85 percent. FrOm seven incidents last year, the National Capital Region reported only one for 2019.

PNP's casualty count in relation with the use of illegal firecrackers since 2017 dropped with only 36 injuries reported.

He attributed safer celebration of holiday seasons to the efforts of PNP and involvement of other agencies such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), local government units, barangay officials and the civilians. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS