ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Fire Protection-Ormoc City, with the help of the Ormoc City Police, intensified its drive against vendors illegally selling fuel products and conducted several raids of stalls along the roadsides.
Acting on a complaint by a barangay official, Senior Fire Officer 2 Alejo Severino and his men raided a makeshift store, located at a populated area in Barangay Punta, this city, and seized gasoline products, worth P10,000 in total, placed in 11 20-liter bottles and two softdrink cases containing 24 1.5-liter bottles and two .5-liter bottles.
Melinda Mendola, a teacher and identified owner of the confiscated items arrived at the scene. She refused the invitation of the raiding team to go with them to the BFP-Ormoc office, but signed instead the inventory of the items in the presence of Barangay Chairman Agapito Inong.
Senior Fire Officer 4 Roberto Ygona, BFP-Ormoc ground commander, told The Freeman that the seized items will be in their custody for safekeeping pending inspection by the Department of Energy. “After which it will be dispose in 30 days with the DOE and/or mayor’s clearance,” he said.
Ygona, justifying the raid, cited section 13 of Republic Act 9514 (Fire Code) stating that simple abatement is the removal of fire hazardous materials. removal of obstruction to exit ways or means of egress ... “
The bureau already sent a proposed ordinance to the city government against illegal vending of fuel products, including butane gases. Ygona said it is now on second reading at the City Council, adding that “all items will be returned if the concerned can present proper documents.”
Inong said the barangay office for many times—five or six months before the raid—had informed and warned the seller of the fuel products. “Residents have been complaining because of the dangers it pose.” he added.
Mendola, for her part, said she was resigned to her fate that her business had ended, and that she was not keen on recovering the items seized from her. “Nakuha na, wala na.”
Illegal vending of fuel products flourished in this city and has been patronized by motorists, especially motorcycle and tricycle drivers, because of high prices of fuel in gas stations, compared to those peddled by enterprising stalls along the roadsides.
Consumers have been complaining the high fuel prices in Ormoc City gas stations—compared to nearby towns and other cities in Leyte province—all of which are supplied by the fuel depot in the city itself. (FREEMAN)