By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
COUNCILOR Teodulfo Lao Jr. yesterday called on city hall to launch a crackdown on retailers of bootleg fuel and other petroleum products even as he said he would be pushing for a city law that would ban the practice of selling gasoline in bottles in the city.
Lao, chairman of the city council’s energy committee, wrote and urged city treasurer Glenn Bañez to lead the crackdown on bootleg fuel mostly being sold in one-liter softdrink bottles along roadsides.
The councilor made the call after he met with petroleum dealers in the city on Tuesday.
“Bañez has the authority to go after those running businesses without permits. That means he is in the best position to lead the campaign to stop the practice of retailing gasoline on the roadsides,” Lao said.
He said there were also safety concerns, citing the recent fire in neighboring Barra, Opol in Misamis Oriental, where a vehicle used in the delivery of bootleg fuel caught fire that spread to houses and stores.
Lao said the city council’s energy committee would schedule a public hearing on a proposed ordinance against the sale, retail, and/or peddling of bootleg fuel and other petroleum products.
“Wala pa man gud tay ordinansa nga mag-prohibit sa pagtinda ug gasolina dalpin sa dalan, ma-o na nga buhatan nato ug bala-od for public safety,” he said.
Lao said organized petroleum dealers in the city earlier sent a petition to the energy committee, and urged local officials to start an investigation into the growing problem on the sale of bootleg fuel in the city.
He said the organization also complained that the unauthorized retail of fuel has adversely affected the businesses of legitimate petroleum dealers.
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