THE Department of Justice has approved the filing of cartelization charges against Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association Inc. (LPGMA) party-list Rep. Arnel Ty and other officers of his group.

In a 10-page resolution, the DoJ found probable cause to file the charges against the lawmaker and eight other LPGMA officers for violation of R.A. 8479 (Oil Deregulation Law) and Revised Penal Code.

Also ordered charged in court were Rene Rossel, Danilo Chua, Alison Sy, Ronnie Sevillana, Mar Dave Tang, Bonifacio Eleria, Virginia Dave Cid and Antonio del Rosario.

Prosecutor Cesar Angelo Chavez III found ample basis in the complaint against the LPGMA filed by Federation of Philippine Industries Inc. (FPII).

“In the instant case, the respondents clearly agreed to fix the price of their LPG products. This is evidenced by the fact that the LPGMA members have unanimously consented to the declarations made by respondents Ty, as their president, announcing the price rollback of their products.

“The announcement was unarguably made by LPGMA as an association, evincing a mutual conformity and concurrence on such action by its members,” the DoJ resolution read.

The fiscal averred that the agreement to fix prices of LPG by respondents, which he branded as “price signaling,” was an effective “restraint on trade and free competition.”

Chavez said such act constituted violation of Section 11 (a) (Anti-Trust Safeguards) of RA 8479 and Article 186 (1) of the Revised Penal Code (monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade against nine traders and several John Does).

In its complaint, FPII led by its president Jesus Arranza accused LPGMA of "agreement, combination or concerted action to fix prices of LPG."

The complainant further alleged that LPGMA Inc. has itself declared that it controls 30 percent of the LPG market in Luzon.