BACOLOD City Councilor Bartolome Orola urged the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) to inspect all instruments for weights and measures in the three public markets, as well as satellite markets.

Orola, chairperson of the City Council committee on markets and slaughterhouse, said the CTO should inspect the public markets to ensure their instruments are calibrated and sealed.

He said based on various monitoring reports made by the CTO, there are still instances that weighing scales and such other instruments, are being tampered with or weighing scales being used without a seal and not officially calibrated.

“Our vendors used it to fraudulently give short weight or measure to their customers. Such fraudulent practices relative to weights and measures are prohibited by law and has the corresponding penalties that should be strictly implemented,” he added.

Orola noted that pursuant to Republic Act 7394, sealing, testing, and calibration of instruments of weights and measures shall be done every six months and shall be strictly enforced by the official sealer who shall be the city treasurer or his authorized representative upon payment of fees under existing law.

In order to promote an honest and fair consumer transaction, Orola said there is a need for regular sealing and calibration of such weighing scales, and vigilant monitoring of such instruments to prevent any tampering.

“There is a need to educate the consuming public to be aware and be observant during consumer transactions and to immediately report to the authorities if they have knowledge of such fraudulent acts so that such deceptive and unfair sales acts or practices are put to a stop,” he said. (MAP)