Tampered weighing scales in old Mandaue public market

CEBU, Philippines - Most weighing scales used at the old Mandaue City public market are tampered, Consumers Rights and Economic Welfare (CREW), Inc. said.

CREW president Vic Sapio yesterday said vendors are hesitant to have their weighing scales inspected then and there.

He said those who had obliged had to first adjust the scales before allowing CREW to have a look, which prove that something in the scales had been adjusted to favor them.

CREW also visited two gasoline stations in the city yesterday but both gas stations refused to have their pumps calibrated by the group.

Sapio said a pump station adjacent to the public market had refused to be inspected upon the alleged advice by city hall and the Department of Energy.

He said the pump station had alleged that there was no need for any group other than the DOE to inspect its pumps, showing papers to back its claims.

Sapio said the station was indeed inspected, and by DOE at that, but the last inspection was done in August yet.

The supervisor of the other gas station located in barangay Basak refused any inspection alleging that the station’s owner was out of town.

Sapio said a report vis-à-vis tampered weighing scales and the refusal of gasoline stations to be inspected will be furnished DTI Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, who gave CREW the go-signal to conduct inspections.

Mandaue was second in the list of places to be inspected after the Carbon area and some gas stations in Cebu City.

City administrator James Abadia said he does not know who the gasoline station had called.

He said the inspection helps the local government in a big way and the outcome was a wake up call for the city.

Abadia said the city cannot inspect business establishments and public markets at all times, especially now that it is busy with the transfer of vendors to the new public market. - THE FREEMAN