Transcript of Sen. Mar Roxas' interview with ANC

On the threat of LPGMA to oppose the LPG Safety Act of 2009

MAR: ... to ash of homes, furniture, of savings. What the bill seeks to do is to give the DOE, the Department of Energy, the clear power to regulate the industry. These are all scare tactics by many, I am not saying all but by many, who continue to use these old, rusted defective tanks when they ply their business, of putting to risk all of these households.

Q: The basis for LPGMA objection is to protect the use of these defective tanks?

MAR: There is no monopoly. Anybody could continue in this business. Why are they saying it would result to monopoly? All we're saying is we want safe acts. Anybody in the business now can continue to be in the business so long as their tanks are safe. Why would they be driven out business? If their tanks are safe, if their tanks are up to specifications, why would they be driven out of business?

Q: Give us an idea...was an inventory conducted on the number of defective tanks in circulation in the market?

MAR: There are all sorts of numbers being thrown out. But the problem is the regulation of the industry right now, before the law, is divided. Part of it is DTI under the Bureau of Product Standards. Part of it is under the Department of Energy. Part of it is Bureau of Fire Protection under the DILG. So nobody really knows what is the true situation nationwide. What we do know is that due to explosions from time to time, there are people dying and there are properties that go up in smoke because of defective tanks.

So what the bills says is that it now puts clearly the accountability with the Department of Energy. The Department of Energy is the one accustomed to dealing with flammable materials like gasoline, kerosene...they are the ones that know what kind of safety measures need to be in place so that these flammable materials don't burst into flames. So we are clearly putting it on the DOE. That's what the bill says.

And we are also saying in the bill that the DOE has the power to confiscate defective tanks. What happens now is that when they seal defective tanks, whether it's the DOE or the DTI, when they see defective tanks, they mark it with an X or some sort of paint. By the time they come back when the paper work is over, after a few days or a week later, the tank has disappeared already. So the defective tank is now roaming across the country and nobody knows really where it is. So what we have done is to give the DOE the power to confiscate the tanks, set it aside and then that is when the process begins. So that these defective tanks are not roaming or circulating even if the process is underway.

Q: The LPGMA will hold a protest this afternoon. Are you going to hold a dialogue with them?

MAR: We're always open to talk with them. It's their right to protest. We've had hearings on this. This was also heard at the House of Representatives. So many hearings have been held on this. Basically, they don't want this bill, they don't want clear accountability, clear authority over the industry. And that's something that we cannot allow.

Let me put this in a different context so people would know what we are talking. Let's say we're not talking about LPG. Let's say it's the airline industry. There are many people, let's say before the regulation of the industry, who are flying aircrafts which are old, some are defective, some are this, some are that, some are new. What we are saying is, there must now be a standard for all airlines. If they want to carry passengers, if they want to carry the risk of other people's lives, other people's properties, their aircrafts must comply with certain standards. That's all we are saying. We are not saying it's monopoly. We're not saying only X,Y or Z or A,B, or C or whoever can do this business. It's open to all. But if you are going to use the aircrafts, then these must comply with the standards. It's the same thing with the LPG. It's open to everybody. But it must be safe. It must comply with certain standards. If not, then you are putting people's lives at risk and property as well. We cannot allow that.

Q: Does the bill stipulate the standards? Are they too high by the LPGMA's reckoning or are they too stringent?

MAR: These standards we live them to the DOE. What it does, it sets the standards in general form that the tanks are not defective, are not rusty, have good welds, have a safety collar, have good valves where you put in the regulator and the hose. That's all that it says. But it does not say so many millimeters thick or so high, so wide, it does not. Those we live to the experts.