BACOLOD City – The city government padlocked DLC Junk Shop on Mabini Street, Barangay 25 yesterday for allegedly accepting and storing stolen telecommunications (telco) batteries.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, together with Atty. Joseph Karol Chiu, secretary to the mayor, and personnel of the City Mayor’s Office, served a Notice of Revocation of Business Permit and Closure for violating the conditions in the business permit issued to the establishment, including “apparent misrepresentation” of its authorized operations.
“The business permit issued to your establishment by the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) is to operate as a junk shop, read part of the notice signed by Benitez.
However, during a spot inspection on Tuesday, July 4, the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) and BPLO discovered that the establishment was operating as a storage facility of potentially hazardous materials, including telco batteries, for which it was not authorized.
ENRO officer-in-charge Engr. Joel Vergara further stated that to engage in the battery recycling process, the establishment should have secured an Environmental Compliance Certificate or Certificate of Non-Coverage and Hazardous Waste Generator Registration Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau.
The DLC Junk Shop was not able to produce pertinent documents during the inspection.
Bacolod City Police Office director Colonel Noel Aliño also confirmed that charges for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1612, or the Anti-Fencing Law, have been filed on Tuesday, July 4, before the City Prosecutor’s Office against the junk shop and three others.
On June 29, the city police seized telco batteries valued at P15.1 million from the said establishment. The batteries were later shown to representatives of Globe Telecom and SMART Communications, who confirmed ownership.
These include 15 units of 12 volts 180AH batteries valued at P1.5 million and 136 additional units valued at P13.6 million from the junk shop’s storage facility./PN
