Petron: LPG bill to boost efforts vs illegal refilling

MANILA, Philippines — Petron Corp. reiterated its support for the passage of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bill in Congress, emphasizing that the bill would strengthen the efforts of law enforcers in curbing illegal practices in the sector.

“Our law enforcers are doing a commendable job in keeping an eye on illegal LPG outlets. If the LPG bill will be passed, they can do even more in suppressing illegal trade practices in the LPG sector,” Petron president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said in a statement.

The LPG bill aims to strengthen and streamline laws and regulations in the LPG sector.

Under the proposed bill, violations like illegal refilling, underfilling, hoarding, and operating without a valid license are fined anywhere from P5,000 to P10 million.

While the bill is still pending in Congress, Petron lauded the current efforts of law enforcement agencies to closely monitor illegal sources of LPG products.

The company cited that in a span of three months, two separate raids were conducted by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Cavite, capturing millions worth of Petron LPG products.

In June, P4.6 million worth of illegally refilled Petron Gasul tanks were seized in Imus, while another 180 were captured in Bacoor with an estimated value of P500,000.

The CIDG also confiscated several fake and illegally refilled LPG tanks in a recent entrapment operation in Valenzuela City following a joint complaint filed by Petron and Isla Gas. The owner of the said illegal outlet was subsequently arrested and imprisoned.

“There are very serious dangers to illegal refilling, which is why it has to stop. It puts at risk the lives of consumers because illegally refilled tanks do not undergo proper safety checks nor do they undergo weight inspections, so these are also often underfilled,” Ang said.

Petron also reminded consumers to trust only authorized dealers and legitimate retailers for their own safety and protection. It emphasized that Petron Gasul cylinders are replicated and sold by unauthorized refillers and sellers without undergoing the proper safety and quality checks.

The company emphasized the safety and practicality of sourcing cylinders from authorized sellers, stressing that it strictly follows Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) standards on wall thickness, weld integrity, and valve fitting when manufacturing each Petron Gasul cylinder.

“To distinguish between a legitimate and a fake Petron Gasul cylinder, customers must look for a laser-printed quality seal with a unique QR-code, certifying that the cylinder has passed through rigorous safety and quality testing,” Petron said.

Petron also strongly advises against using LPG-filled butane canisters which are both dangerous and illegal.

It emphasized that an alarming number of fire incidents is caused by butane explosions, including one last year in Cagayan de Oro that killed two people and a 12-year old.

Similarly, another butane explosion took place in a refilling plant in Cebu leaving two more with second degree burns.

In 2019, a series of fire incidents blazed through Cebu again due to illegally refilled butane canisters, with four happening in less than a week and causing P4 million in damages.

To prevent such accidents, Petron introduced last year a 2.7-kg variant of its Fiesta Gas LPG brand as a safer alternative.