Wealthy Fil-Sino trader caught hoarding LPG tanks

By Pat C. Santos

02/01/2009

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is poised to file charges against a wealthy Filipino-Chinese trader for allegedly hoarding more than 2,000 tanks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that were discovered during a raid by NBI operatives on his warehouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila the other night.

Alexander Yapching, assistant executive of the Presidential Task Force on Energey Facility Security, identified the owner of the warehouse as Wiliam Chua, a resident of Sta. Cruz, Manila. He is reportedly facing charges of hoarding, economic sabotage and putting in danger the neighborhood near his warehouse in Sta. Cruz.

Apart from the charges, Chua is also facing charges for illegally selling other brands of LPG tanks after it was confirmed by NBI agents that the businessman was only allowed to sell “Total” brand of LPG.

Yapching said in a radio interview over dzRH more than 2,000 11-kilogram assorted brands of LPG tanks were recovered inside the warehouse of Chua at 11:30 p.m.

Reports said prior to the operation, the NBI agents conducted a surveillance operation in the warehouse of Chua which was located in a residential area in Sta. Cruz.

After confirming that the warehouse was hoarding hundreds of assorted LPG tanks, the operatives immediately conducted an operation in the place.

Earlier, the NBI had been tasked by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to coordinate with the Department of Energy and Department of Trade and Industry to arrest hoarders of LPG tanks which are responsible for the shortage in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

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