Butane refilling station owner, 16 workers nabbed

CEBU, Philippines — An operator of a butane canister refilling station and his 16 personnel were arrested in Barangay Calawisan, Lapu-Lapu City, past 9 a.m. yesterday.

Police Chief Inspector Jaime Tolentino, of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) in Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) said that they received reports about the butane refilling station owned by Joven Sohitado.

He said the station uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to refill butane canisters and the station stated its operation a few months ago.

Tolentino added Sohitado earns a maximum of P60,000 per day.

The Department of Energy in Central Visayas (DOE-7) has intensified its efforts in going after illegal LPG refilling businesses.

DOE-7 released on its webpage a press statement singling out Cebu for the prevalence of illegally filled LPG butane canisters circulating.

DOE has confiscated 63,055 LPG-refilled and 150,821 empty butane canisters and arrested 30 individuals in Cebu from early 2017 until August 2018.

“The DOE is conducting continuing efforts with the PNP to eliminate the proliferation of LPG-refilled butane canisters in the province,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a press statement.

One of the most ‘highly-publicized’ arrests took place on August 24, when suspects Ramir Amaca, Romeo Apparece and Romeo Cuevas, who were apprehended for trading illegally-refilled butane canisters in Taboan Public Market were taken in custody by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has filed cases of obstruction of justice, grave abuse of authority, misconduct, and violation of the ethical standards for government employees against Osmeña before the Office of the Ombudsman.

CCPO has already filed a case against the three who are still at large for violation of Batas Pambansa 33, as amended by Presidential Decree 1865, after being caught selling and possessing 638 illegally refilled and empty canisters.

Cusi, in the press statement, urged the public to stop patronizing canisters that have higher-risk of triggering fire incidents.

“LPG-refilled butane canisters are extremely dangerous, especially since butane canisters should only be used once. Refilling these tin canisters with LPG could cause fire and also greatly endangers the lives of our consumers,” the press statement reads. (FREEMAN)