The Department of Justice has been asked to prosecute four individuals for allegedly engaging in illegal refilling of LPG or cooking gas, a practice that oftentimes lead to explosions and fires in households and business establishments.
In a complaint, Liezl A. Doroteo (FLD Marketing), Henfherd D. Catsuela (Jheybee LPG Store/Pure Gaz LPG Store), Ronaldo G. Lugtu (R&B Gas and General Merchandise) and, Jun Goloya (Goloya Marketing/West Gas) were accused of violating Republic Act No. 8293, Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, which penalizes unauthorized refilling of branded LPG cylinders, a form of unfair competition and a criminal offense.
Under the Department of Energy’s Circular No. 20017-10-007, LPG cylinders can only be refilled by their brand owners or their authorized refillers.
The complaint was filed following a series of raids conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation recently.
The NBI has raided 19 plants over the last 10 months as part of its crackdown against illegal LPG refillers in the country citing the risk that they are putting on the lives and properties of millions of households.
However, an estimated five million Filipino households use LPG, an alarming 3.5 million or 70 percent of these are suspected to be using defective LPG cylinders due to the unsafe practices of illegal refillers.
These practices include illegal tampering of branded cylinders and use of dilapidated used tanks for storing and refilling.
Such procedures leave parts of the LPG cylinders thin and prone to leakage or explosions.
Based on Bureau of Fire Protection statistics, around 100 fires yearly are caused by defective LPG tanks.
A bill is now pending before the Senate which aims to stop illegal LPG activities and ensure consumer welfare.