Gonzalez to NBI: Flush out hoarders of LPG

By Benjamin B. Pulta

01/31/2009

Law enforcers will come down hard on suspected hoarders of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) after Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Raul Gonzalez instructed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the circumstances of the LPG shortage.

“In view of the continuing uncertainty of the international oil supply which makes imperative that measures to conserve energy be taken, you are ordered to monitor and/or investigate possible violations, on a national scale, of Batas Pambansa Bilang 33, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1865,” Gonzalez said in two-page order to NBI Director Nestor Mantaring.

Gonzalez added the NBI should look into cases involving “illegal trading in petroleum and/or petroleum products; adulteration of furnished petroleum products or possession of adulterated finished petroleum products for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation exchange or barter.”

Also covered are “underdelivery or underfilling beyond authorized limits in the sale of petroleum products or possession underfilled liquefied petroleum gas cylinders for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation, in exchange or barter,” the order further stated.

The DoJ secretary also instructed the NBI to investigate incidents of hoarding, overpricing and misuse of petroleum allocations.

Gonzalez also told the NBI to throw the book against persons caught in the act of perpetuating the above-mentioned offenses.

“Those who commit the above dastardly acts should be promptly brought to justice and be held answerable for the same. This is a time of serious economic want. These violators, who exploit these difficult times to take advantage of their fellowmen by the hoarding of supplies of LPG to induce an artificial shortage and promote price manipulation, must be dealt with severely,” the DoJ chief stressed.

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