Conditional permit given to LPG plant

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court has ordered the City of Naga in Cebu to issue a “Conditional Business Permit” to Pryce Gases Inc. (PGI), a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) company that accused the city government of harassment.

During the hearing of the case yesterday, Naga City, through lawyer Alfredo Garcia Jr. offered to give a “Conditional Business Permit” and PGI’s lawyer, Jennie Cabading, said “the offer to issue ‘Conditional Business Permit’ vindicates PGI as it affirms that the cancellation of its Business Permit was precipitate, illegal and malicious.”

Cabading said the ‘Conditional Business Permit’ does not necessarily cure the LGU’s violation of  her client’s right to due process and equal protection of laws.

PGI earlier asked the court to protect them from the alleged “precipitate, illegal and malicious” cancellation by the LGU and the city’s Fire Marshall of its Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) and Business Permit.

PGI operates a LPG refilling plant in Barangay South Poblacion since 1997.

The company sought refuge with the court after Naga Fire Marshall Vilma Abarquez canceled the FSIC of its Naga plant last May 15, 2014, two days after she issued a Notice to Comply to alleged fire safety violations of the plant.

Cabading said Abarquez seemed lost in canceling their FSIC on May 15, 2014 as the Notice to Comply she issued on May 13, 2014 gave them 15 days to comply with the alleged violations of the LPG refilling plant.

The May 15, 2014 cancellation of the FSIC was the basis of a June 19 order to cancel the company’s business permit. The order was signed by City Administrator Arthur Villamor and noted by Mayor Valdemor Chiong.

PGI lamented that while the LGU and the Bureau of Fire Protection nitpicked on the supposed issued in its Naga plant, it issued ‘Conditional Business Permits’ to the Malaysian-owned Petronas Corp., which is operating a bigger facility, an LPG Terminal, in Barangay Langtad despite the fact that the facility has no FSIC.

Petronas’ ‘Conditional Business Permit’ contains a notation: Lacking FSIC.

The alleged double standard, Cabading said, is a “blatant disregard to PGI’s Right to Equal Protection of Laws.”

“This is not only clear grave abuse of discretion but also obvious manifest partiality in favor of Petronas,” Cabading added. —/JMO (FREEMAN)