Preamble
WHEREAS, Batas Pambansa Bilang 33 defines and penalizes certain prohibited acts inimical to the public interest and national security involving petroleum and/or petroleum products; WHEREAS, adulteration of finished petroleum products or possession of adulterated finished petroleum products for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation, exchange or barter; and underdelivery or underfilling beyond authorized limits in the sale of petroleum products or liquefied petroleum gas cylinders are pernicious practices that are rampant and widespread; WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to curb, if not totally eliminate, such nefarious practices in the industry in order to better protect the consuming public; WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide the implementing government agencies with increased administrative and criminal penalties with which it can effectively curtail petroleum product adulteration and shortselling as well as other prohibited acts and activities involving petroleum and/or petroleum products which are inimical to public interest and national security; WHEREAS, in view of the foregoing considerations, it has become necessary to amend certain provisions of Batas Pambansa Bilang 33, as well as to provide, new provisions in the law; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree as follows: