P285 million butane canisters found in rival's warehouse  

CEBU, Philippines —  Authorities yesterday morning seized P285 million worth of butane canisters and equipment from the warehouse of a butane distribution company in Consolacion, Cebu, following complaints that products of its competitors are being destroyed there.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group's Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit (AFCCU) in Camp Crame raiding team also arrested 22 persons, who are believed to be workers of Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corporation (CRMC), which owns the Sitio Batong, Barangay Danglag warehouse.

The operation, which Consolacion police assisted, came after Regional Trial Court-Branch 89 Judge Lucila M. Cad-Enjambre issued a search warrant against CRMC for the alleged violation of Section 2 of Republic Act Number 623 as Amended by Republic Act Number 5700.

The said provision sets that it "shall be unlawful for any person, without the written consent of the manufacturer, bottler, or seller, who has successfully registered the marks of ownership in accordance with the provisions of the next preceding section, to fill such bottles, boxes, kegs, barrels, steel cylinders, tanks,

flasks, accumulators, or other similar containers so marked or stamped, for the purpose of sale, or to sell, dispose of, buy or traffic in, or wantonly destroy the same, whether filled or not to use the same for drinking vessels or glasses or drain pipes, foundation pipes, for any other purpose than that registered by the manufacturer, bottler or seller."

Authorities identified the complainants as FMZ LPG Center, Republic Gas Corporation, Philcan Refilling Plant, Inc., and Solid R Cheaper Gas.

During the operation, authorities found at least seven million butane canisters of FMZ-Botin LPG (FMZ LPG Center), Regasco (Republic Gas), Bluflame (Philcan), Tripler (Solid R) and some more brands.

A copy of the warrant stated that “Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corporation (Rufrance) has custody. possession and/or control of voluminous Refillable Seamless Aluminum Alloy (RSA) canisters bearing the trademark of complainants…..being stored and blatantly hoarded for destruction without the complainants' permission to the latter's prejudice". (CEBU NEWS)