Sellers of illegally refilled LPG tanks nabbed

Three men were arrested in Quezon City on Wednesday for allegedly selling unauthorized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products.

Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel, the Quezon City Police District director, said Jayson Lachica, 25, Elmer Venanciano, 21, and Allan Gardose, 18, of Barangay Salapan, San Juan City, were arrested based on a complaint from Isla Solaine LPG Corp., which reported that a number of its tanks had gone unreturned, were illegally refilled and then sold with fake seals.

The three men were arrested while transporting around 30 11-kilogram LPG tanks.

They face charges for violation of Presidential Decree No.  1865 which penalizes acts endangering public safety through the sale of adulterated or unregulated petroleum products.

In Quezon City, leaking LPG tanks were found to be the cause of at least 50 of the 2,522 fires recorded from January to June last year.

Under a local ordinance, LPG refillers are required to secure a Special Use Permit while wholesalers and retailers should have a Standard Compliance Certificate from the Department of Energy, aside from meeting the requirements of the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office.—JODEE A. AGONCILLO