The campaign against the illegal sale of petroleum products in the city gets a boost.
The 18th City Council during its regular session Monday presided over by City Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy unanimously approved Ordinance No.13121-2016, prohibiting the selling and retailing of unsafe and sub-standard liquid petroleum products using soda or plastic bottle, jugs and other similar containers in the city and imposing penalties for any violation.
Councilor Teodulfo Lao, chair of the committee on energy authored the Illegal Retailing of Liquid Petroleum Products Ordinance of 2016.
It may be recalled that the committee held a series of meetings with concerned agencies and parties regarding the proliferation and rampant selling of retailed-liquid petroleum products in the city.
According to Lao, these are highly-combustible and flammable products that can cause fire and pose health risks to the public.
The illegally-sold products may be sourced from illegal activities, which also deprives the city government of revenues, he said.
The ordinance provides that the retailing of liquid petroleum products shall be conducted in duly approved premises with an initial minimum lot area of 100 square meters and where vehicles being serviced shall at all times be inside the duly approved business premises and shall only be carried out through fixed and permanent dispensing pumps duly approved by the city government and Department of Energy (DOE).
The owner and/or operator of the retail outlet must possess valid permits, licenses and certification for the retailing, storage, handling, transfer and/or dispensing of liquid petroleum products from the City Mayor’s Office.
The construction and operation of the retail outlet must also comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and city ordinances or face penalties.
The ordinance also creates Task Force Bote-Bote, composed of the city treasurer as the head, city police director as the vice head, city fire marshal, Association of Barangay Council president or representative, Roads and Traffic Administration head, City Equipment Depot manager, city legal officer, five personnel from the City Treasurer’s Office duly designated by the city treasurer, three police officers duly designated by the city police director, five RTA personnel, three Equipment Depot personnel and punong barangay of barangays where there are bote-bote operators as ex-officio members.
The task force shall confiscate all stocks of liquid petroleum products found in the vicinity, which are subject of illegal retailing and vending.
Under the ordinance, persons who peddle, vend, retail, and sell in violation and those who do not comply with provisions, in addition to the confiscation of the liquid petroleum products, shall be penalized by a fine of P3,000 for the first offense, P4,000 for second and third offense, and P5,000 or imprisonment of one year or both penalty and imprisonment upon the discretion of the proper court. (sp)
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