Piston-Cebu’s call to gov’t: Junk Oil Deregulation Law

The series of fuel price increases have prompted a call from transport groups to the government to change the law while another group has pushed for a P12 fare increase. / AFP FILE PHOTO

3rd fuel hike in a month

Amid the third fuel price increase this month, a transport group is encouraging the government to junk the oil deregulation law so that the government can take back control in setting the price of oil in the country.

Greg Perez, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston)-Cebu chairman, said that the trend on the increase of Petroleum products would continue unless the government could takeover the regulation of prices of petroleum products.

Perez said that amid the successive oil price hikes, Piston would still stand firm that they would not file any petition for a fare increase.

Perez was referring to third fuel price increase for the month imposed by petroleum companies on Tuesday — a P0.65 price hike for every liter of gasoline, P0.45 for kerosene and P0.35 for diesel.

Last Tuesday (May 22), oil companies imposed a “big-time” oil price increase with P1.60 per liter imposed on gasoline, P1.15 per liter on diesel and P1 per liter for kerosene.

In May 15, the first increase in the month was imposed with P1.10 per liter increase on gasoline, P1.20 per liter on diesel, and 95 centavo increase in kerosene.

Perez said that the problem about the soaring oil prices would not be solved by an increase of fare rate, but rather, it could be addressed if the government would meddle in the setting of oil prices.

Perez said that increasing the fare would only make things worse because the cost of basic commodities would also increase if the fare would increase.

“Ang balaod mismo ang kinahanglan usbon. Kinahanglan nilang ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law aron mabalik sa gobyerno ang kontrol sa presyo sa lana (They should change the law. Junk the Oil Deregulation Law so that the government can control the price of fuel),” said Perez.

He said that unless the government would reclaim its right to monitor and control oil prices, oil companies “would continue to abuse their freedom by setting very high prices.”

Unlike Piston, transport groups Basak Lapu-Lapu City Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (Balacjoda) and Cebu Integrated Transport Cooperative (Citrasco) have already expressed their intention seek for increase in minimum fare.

In a petition submitted to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7), the transport groups are pushing for a fare increase of the minimum fare from P6.50 to P12.

But Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said on Tuesday that a wage increase might happen within the month because of the increasing fuel prices. (See separate story on page 6)

This is part of the government’s reaction in helping the workers to cope with the effects of the fuel price increase.

Aside from that the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) has also begun the process of importing cheaper diesel from Russia to address the increasing prices of petroleum, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi confirmed the development amid the soaring prices of oil in the world market.

“Kagabi po nagkaroon po ako ng kumpirmasyon galing kay Secretary Cusi na meron na pong hakbang na ginagawa ang PNOC-EC para mag-angkat po ng mas murang diesel galing sa Russia,” Roque said in a televised press briefing from Bontoc, Mountain Province. /with Inquirer report