Fuel pumps. AFP FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City police and some government agencies will continue to monitor gasoline stations with incorrect calibration of fuel pumps.
This is after authorities gave notice to at least three gasoline stations in the southern part of Cebu City and padlocked around 14 defective fuel pumps today, June 24, 2022, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
Parilla said that the operation is jointly conducted with the city government, which initiated it. He added that the three gasoline stations were already given the notice to explain the matter.
“This is a composite [team] of all departments to include the PNP with the directive of the city mayor. Nag conduct atong imaging adlaw [Tuesday, June 21], ang team and it found out nga aduna silay nakita nga mga gasoline stations nga wala mainsakto og calibrate ang ilahang mga fuel pumps…atoang mga consumers ma alkansi,” Parilla said.
“This is an initiative of the mayor to make sure nga di ma alkansi ang atong consumers considering sa gitas-on na sa presyo sa atoang gasoline ug krudo,” he added.
Parilla said that they could not tell for now if this was intentional or not pending the explanation from at least three erring gasoline stations.
For now, Parilla said that authorities have already padlocked the 14 incorrectly calibrated fuel pumps. However, the correctly calibrated ones remain operational.
Parilla clarified that there is no given deadline as to when the erring gas stations will comply.
An incorrectly calibrated pump carries a fine of P1,000 that operators will have to pay at the Cebu City’s Treasure’s Office.
“But for sure, ang kining atoang mga gasoline stations maoy magdali nga maka comply sila together with sa multa nga P1000 per pump para matangtang ang padlock og makabalik nag gamit ang pump. It is up to them og kanus-a nila i comply,” Parilla said.
Parilla added that they are yet to receive data from the northern part of Cebu City as their monitoring continues.
Parilla appeals to gasoline stations to make sure that their fuel pumps are calibrated correctly to help unburden consumers who are bearing the brunt of rising fuel prices.
He added that monitoring teams have been dispatched to constantly check on all gasoline stations here. /rcg
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