ILOILO CITY — Thousands of filled and empty butane canisters were confiscated in Barangay Pandac, Pavia town in Iloilo province on Friday for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1865 or the illegal trade of petroleum products.
Representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE) – Visayas, and operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s field unit here and the Pavia municipal police were armed with a search warrant for one Pablo Miole, who is from Bolilao, Mandurriao but works in Barangay Pandac.
They seized 1,008 filled canisters, 1,204 empty canisters, 1,344 empty cases, 18 units of 11-kg. cylinder tanks of empty liquefied petroleum (LPG), 48 refilling cartridges, 12 digital weighing scales, and a motorcycle with side car loaded with 18 cases of canister.
Chief Insp. Ferdnand Limbungan, Pavia police chief, said Miole was not around during the operation but not less than 10 workers were present. “Based on our information, he is the boss who runs the business,” he said.
The subject will be facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1865.
On first offense, the violator, at the discretion of the court, will either be meted a fine ranging from PHP20,000 to PHP50,000 or imprisonment of two years to five years. On the second offense, the violator will be subjected to fine and imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the DOE warned that refilling butane canisters with LPG is dangerous.
“The canister that was used is designed for single use only. It is not capable of holding LPG because the pressure of butane is different from LPG,” said lawyer, Gemco Gabales, of the DOE.
He urged the public not to engage in such kind of business as there are other legitimate businesses they can go into.
Meanwhile, Pandac barangay chairman Corazon Pedregosa said she was unaware of the operation and she thought they were just selling soft drinks. She said she only learned about it when she was invited by the operatives to witness the operation. (Perla Lena/PNA)
