House: Higher penalties for ‘adulterated’ fuel – Manila Standard
A PANEL in the House of Representatives has created a technical working group that will finetune a bill imposing stiffer penalties for people who make adulterated petroleum products.
The House committee on energy, chaired by Rep. Lord Alan Jay Velasco of Marinduque, said the TWG shall be tasked to refine House Bill 27 or the bill seeking to amend Sections 3-A and 4 of Presidential Decree 1865.
The group will be chaired jointly by Reps. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro and Rep. Carlos Roman Uybarreta of 1-Care party-list.
PD 1865 is also known as “Amending Batas Pambansa Bilang 33, titled ‘An Act Defining And Penalizing Certain Prohibited Acts Inimical To The Public Interests And National Security Involving Petroleum And/Or Petroleum Products, Prescribing Penalties Therefor And For Other Purposes,’ By Including Shortselling And Adulteration Of Petroleum And Petroleum Products And Other Acts In The Definition Of Prohibited Acts, Increasing The Penalties Therein, And For Other Purposes.”
PD 1865 prohibits illegal trading in petroleum and/or petroleum products; adulteration of finished petroleum products, or possession of adulterated finished products for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation, exchange or barter and underdelivery or underfiling beyond authorized limits in the sale of petroleum products or possession of underfilled liquefied petroleum gas cylinder for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation, exchange or barter, among others.
Under the law, the Department of Energy imposes P10,000 fine against each violator.
Violators can also be charged criminally.
Under BP 33, a convicted violator shall be fined from P20,000 to P50,000, or imprisoned for at least two to five years, or both.
HB 27 raises the violation fine to P100,000 or suspension or removal of the license or permit of an oil, importer, refiner, hauler, marketer, refiller, dealer, sub-dealer, or retail outlet. For a convicted violator, the fine is raised to P300,000 or imprisonment of at least three years but not more than six years, or both.
Citing studies, Velasco said Metro Manila’s air pollution problem was caused primarily by vehicular emissions, mostly coming from diesel engines.
LATEST NEWS
© 2017 manilastandard.net. All rights reserved.Powered by LEENTech Network Solutions