Friday, July 04, 2008 City probes 5 gas stations over shortchanging customers By Annabelle L. Ricalde
FIVE gasoline stations have been found by the City Treasurer's Office shortchanging their customers by as much as 75 milliliters or P4.70 for every liters of gasoline or diesel of purchase.
The operators and owners of these gas stations were called to a meeting by the Committee on Public Utilities last Tuesday. They reportedly did not appear in the City Council.
Acting City Treasurer Dixson Baconga identified the gas stations as that of Petron, located Masterson Avenue in Upper Carmen, registered under the name of Gorgonia Buaquina; Shellac Petrol Corporation at Masterson Avenue, also in Upper Carmen, registered under Vic Pizarro; Petron gas station in Ilaya, Barangay Carmen under Roger Tan; Shell Station in Vamenta Boulevard, Barangay Carmen under Antonio Almirante Jr.; and Petron station, also in Vamenta Boulevard, Barangay Carmen under Miami Chan.
Baconga said these stations have been found shortchanging their customers or have engaged in "under delivery" of fuel products last June 27.
He said several teams from the City Treasurers Office Task Force Calibration have been strictly monitoring local gas stations especially after the prices of fuel products rose dramatically this year.
Baconga said a report submitted by Eugene Apolinario of the City Treasurer's Office revealed that the five gas stations were shortchanging their consumers ranging from 25 to 75 milliliters for every liter of purchase.
She said this is equivalent to P4.70 per liter based at P58.95 price of premium gasoline.
"Dako gyud ang alkansi. Daghan ang wala mahibalo niini nga mga drivers and owners sa mga sakyanan (This is a big loss for the customers. Many drivers and car owners are not aware of this)," Baconga told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
However, Baconga said the operators and business owners might not be aware their fuel pumps are shortchanging their customers.
She said most of the fuel pumps they found to be defective were mechanical. Only one gas station of the five, she said, had a digital fuel pump.
"I don't think nga gituyo pud nila (I do not think it was intentional) pero kay mechanical, the dealer should maintain their daily calibration before operating," Baconga said.
She said Almirante's Shell station calibrates its fuel pumps three to four times a week. Petron station of Baquina, on the other hand, calibrates their pumps twice a month while the pumps of Chan's Petron is calibrated once a week.
Baconga said their task force also found out that the fuel pumps of some gasoline stations do not have the required sealed calibration sticker from the Department of Science and Technology (Dost).
She cited the Shell Station of Almirante as one of those gas stations, which do not have sealed Dost stickers on their fuel pumps.
Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, chair of the committee on public utilities, said his committee wants to close down every fuel pump found to be shortchanging the customers pending new calibration this time by the Dost.
"Although first offense pa nila, we require the owners to submit their explanations," Nacaya said.
He said they will recommend the revocation of the business licenses of the five gas stations if the committee will not be satisfied by their explanations.
