From:	dave.cannell@dscmail.com (DAVE CANNELL)
Subject: Assault by kite?
Message-ID: <8BF407D.2384000E4E.uuout@dscmail.com>
Date:	Tue, 23 Apr 1996 21:05:00 -1000
Organization: DSC BBS * Ivyland, PA * 10,000 Sigs/30 Gigs * 215-443-7390

>From the Saudi Gazette Tuesday April 23,1996

KITE SLITS MAN'S THROAT IN CEBU

CEBU CITY, APRIL 22

Flying kites is fun in summer even in the city, but not when it cuts a
man's throat or causes power outages.

That's what happened Tuesday when a 27-year-old man was arrested for
"slitting" the throat of a pedestrian while flying a lite.

Police said the kite's string, which was laced with crushed pieces of
fluorescent bulb, rubbed against the man's throat, sending him to the
hospital.

Following the accident and noting that kite flying occasionally caused
power outages, Councilor Ruben de la Cerna urged the police to enforce an
ordinance banning kite flying in the city proper.

The ordinance fines a violator P200 or jails him for at least five days.
Both penalties could be imposed, depending on the judge's discretion.

The ordinance allows kite flying in "open spaces with an area of at least
300 square metres" or in places that have no electric or telephone wires.

Kite flyers in Cebu usually lace their strings with crushed glass to cut
the strings of enemy kites in "dogfights" or kite fighting.

The ordinance passed in 1993 did not ban the lacing of kite strings, but De
la Cerna hopes that kite fighting will be stopped if the ordinance is
"strictly enforced".

De la Cerna said the police have been very lax in enforcing the city law.

Felipe Constantino, engineer at the Visayan Electric Company, said company
officials are happy with Del La Cerna's action.  Since the start of summer
the company has suffered five power outages owing to kite flying.



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