Danger of refilled canisters: Central Visayas top cop assures DOE support in butane drive

CEBU, Philippines - The Police Regional Office-7 will form a task force to support the Department of Energy in its campaign against the illegal refilling of butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas.

This was after DOE-7 Director Antonio Labios visited PRO-7 Director Prudencio Tom Bañas in his office yesterday morning for better collaboration between their offices.   Bañas said that forming a task force would be the best thing to do to address the illegal refilling of canisters.

He said that since the prohibition on the refilling of butane canisters is mandated by a special law and DOE is the designated regulatory body, the police could support the unit especially in conducting raids.

Labios told the media that DOE is imposing a stiffer penalty on violators, as provided for by Department Circular 2014-01-0001 requiring LPG industry players to secure a Standard Compliance Certificate (SCC).

He said that a violator could be slapped with an administrative fine of P60,000 for a single violation without prejudice to the filing of a criminal complaint in court.

Labios said butane canisters are intended for one-time use only and refilling them with liquefied petroleum gas would be very dangerous because of possible explosion.

“One-time use lang ni siya (butane canister).  Ang pag-refill ana kay illegal kay dangerous na siya kay ang butane mas gamay og pressure kompara sa LPG, dunay posibilidad nga mobuto,” Labios said.

He also said buyers are being fooled into buying a “cheap” LPG-filled butane canisters sold at P12.50 to P15 per canister since the actual content is no longer that which is reflected in body of the canister.

“Dili gyud ni barato kay ang sulod gamay ra, convenient lang. Ang 220 grams di gyud na mao ang sulod, kay kung sundon mobuto man na.  Kung sa usa ka kilo di gyud na mao ang presyo,” he said.

He welcomed the move of the Cebu City government that formed through the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office a task force that would monitor and eliminate the refilling of butane canisters in the city.

The task force would be composed of the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, and of the City government.

In the meantime that the task force has not yet started working, DPE would conduct an “intensive information campaign through the different barangays” so that people will know that the use of LPG-filled butane canister is very dangerous. — (FREEMAN)