LPG firm sues Naga fire chief

CEBU, Philippines - A liquefied petroleum gas company has filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against the acting fire marshal of the City of Naga after its fire safety inspection certificate has been cancelled.

Pryce Gases, Inc. (PGI) assistant vice president for administrative services Darwin Sarraga signed the complaint against Fire Senior Insp. Wilma Abarquez.

Allan Galorport, plant manager/supervisor of the gas facility of PGI, and Frecil Ramis, regional head for accounting and finance of PGI, also executed affidavits to support the complaint.

PGI built its facility in the City of Naga, particularly in South Poblacion, in 1997. This facility is primarily for LPG refilling and for the manufacture of other gases such as industrial and medical oxygen.

PGI’s counsel, Jennie Cabading, said all through the years of operation in the City of Naga, the company was never a subject of any complaint from the city itself and also from the Office of the City Fire Marshal notwithstanding numerous and regular ocular inspections.

In September 2013, PGI lodged a complaint for alleged blatant violation of the Fire Code against the Petronas LPG facility located at Barangay Langtad.

Cabading alleged that Abarquez started to find fault against PGI’s gas facility which eventually resulted in the cancellation of its FSIC.

 In a notice to comply dated May 13, 2014, Abarquez mandated PGI to comply with the alleged eight violations pertaining to PGI’s LPG operations.

 Abarquez, in the same notice, gave PGI 15 days within which to comply with the mandates stated therein.

 Cabading, however, claimed that two days from the issuance of the notice, Abarquez cancelled its FSIC.

 “The cancellation of PGI’s Fire Safety Inspection Certificate  and the eventual cancellation of its Mayor’s/Business Permit was precipitate, illegal and malicious in violation of PGI’s right to due process,” said Cabading in the cover letter dated July 11, 2014 addressed to Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol.

 Cabading said no matter how illegal and malicious the cancellations were, PGI’s facility in the City of Naga is now faced with the possibility of being closed and padlocked by the local government.

 Under this circumstance, she said grave and irreparable losses and damage to the business operations of PGI in the City of Naga is now very imminent.

 Cabading said that Abarquez‘ acts “constitute oppression, gross or grave misconduct, misconduct in connection with performance of official duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service, violation of Standards of Professionalism, violation of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, and other laws and rules.”—(FREEMAN)