CEBU CITY, Philippines—Two brothers who were allegedly distributors of illegally refilled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters landed in the hospital after one LPG tank leaked and caused a fire on Tuesday evening, March 3, 2020, in Sitio Soong 1, Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.
The brothers were identified as Jason Hibaya, 33 and Roel Hibaya, 39, who were natives of Bohol and were renting a house in Sitio Soong 1 for their business.
Police Master Sergeant Wilson Malnegro, of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) Station 2 said the brothers were brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for treatment as they suffered second degree burns on their arms and other parts of their bodies.
Malnegro said they received a call from a concerned citizen reporting about a fire at around 9 p.m.
When the police arrived in the area, they found out that it was one of the LPG tanks that leaked and caused a fire from inside a room where tanks were stored.
Fire Officer 1 Ariel Nillas of the Gon-ob Fire Department said that the fire was already put out when they arrived.
He said that the fire investigators found out that that the LPG tank that caused the fire leaked since its valve was not properly shut.
Fire officials took out all the LPG tanks from the house and made sure that all its valves were properly shut for safety.
Malnegro told CDN Digital that given that the supposed refilling area was inside the room, there is a possibility that the business was illegal.
Malnegro said they were unable to interview the two brothers as they were immediately brought to hospital after the incident.
He said they will be visiting the brothers in the hospital and verify if they have any permits to operate refilling canisters.
“Maka ingon gyud mi nga illegal gyud ni kay dili man gyud ni license mo operate og mag refill kung naa man gud sa kwarto,” said Malnegro.
(We can say it’s illegal because they are not supposed to have a license to operate a refilling station inside a room.)
If proven that the two have been illegally refilling canisters, they will be charged with Presidential Decree 1865, or the act defining and penalizing short selling and adulteration of petroleum and petroleum products. /bmjo