DOE, City Hall to push info drive on butane cans

A one-week information campaign will be held in the barangays  before Cebu City takes drastic action and confiscates and arrests vendors and distributors of  refilled butane canisters, which are illegal.

“We haven’t started yet. We are only doing information dissemination led by the Department of Energy,” said City Councilor Dave Tumulak.

DOE Legal Officer Mark Gamallo confirmed this saying they are  coordinating with the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).

“Barangay officials can determine where the  refilled butane cans are being sold in their areas. We want them to know that this is illegal. The butane canister is only for  one-time use,” Gamallo said.

After that, they can file cases  against those who sell and refill  butane canisters with Liquefied  Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Gamallo said last Tuesday’s explosion at a butane canister seller’s home in barangay Kinasang-an, Pardo that injured eight persons is under investigation.  Results  will come out next week.

“By then, we can decide what administrative action to take apart from the  criminal charges to be filed against the owner,” he said.

Refilled butane canisters are cheap, popular source of cooking fuel.

One vendor at a van-for-hire terminal, said she continues to  buy them for as low as P20.

“Dugay naman ko mag-gamit og butane. Bisan sa balay maggamit mi ani. Daghan rag baligya nga mga refilled nga butane sa amo (We’ve been using refilled butane canisters for a long time now.

We even use it at home. A lot of people sell refilled butane at our place),” said the vendor who requested anonymity.