Muntinlupa: Ex-mayor left P15-M unpaid gasoline bills

MANILA, Philippines – A fuel supplier has suspended the account of the Muntinlupa city government after the new mayor failed to pay a P6-million debt left behind by the former administration.

The P6.18-million debt was incurred with the Lamuan Shell Gas Station in the first half of 2013, according to an Inquirer report.

This means the unpaid fuel supplies were consumed during the last 6 months of the administration of Mayor Aldrin San Pedro. 

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi took office on June 30. He received the letter on July 22 that Lamuan Shell has “temporarily blocked” city hall’s account until the amount was paid in full.

“We cannot finance your fuel requirements any further. Business [has not been] good lately considering the frequent movements [in the price] of fuel,” gas station manager Cesar Libunao said in the letter to Fresnedi.

Fresnedi said the past administration incurred over P15 million of debt in fuel orders from January to June this year. The billing statement sent to the Muntinlupa procurement office shows the figure amounts to around 300,000 liters of gas. 

The billings ranged from P1,863 between February 18 and 20, and P1.02 million between June 11 and 17.

The city government’s supply are still being met, Fresnedi said in the report. Drivers from the city government can still make fuel withdrawals from another gas supplier, EMG Shell Corporation in Putatan. The withdrawals will later be reimbursed.

While saying he was unfamiliar with the average fuel consumption of the city government, he said that the last administration’s consumption “was definitely not normal,” he said in the report. – Rappler.com