Echiverri said he received reports that some unscrupulous traders are resorting to unsafe procedures to maximize profits.
Among the unsafe procedures were unauthorized refilling, cylinder tampering, using dilapidated and illegally manufactured LPG cylinders.
Echiverri recently issued Executive Order 16-06, which formed the Caloocan City Task Force Liquefied Petroleum Gas to go after unscrupulous LPG dealers.
The task force will conduct inspections to ensure that safety regulations are observed. Violators face penalties, Echiverri warned.
He explained that the use of defective and substandard LPG tanks is one of the major causes of fires.
Echiverri said the city government will conduct periodic inspections to make sure that LPG dealers and distributors follow safety procedures.
"We will have continuous monitoring to make sure that these business establishments follow national and local laws," Echiverri said. — Pete Laude