“Malinaw na pang-aabuso at panloloko (A clear case of abuse and deceit).”
This was how labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno reacted to the Department of Energy’s announcement that the public should expect another round of oil price hike next week following the hike in oil prices in the world market last August 15 to 17.
The DOE said that the price increase in the world market is equivalent to more than P1.50 for gasoline and P0.50 for diesel in the local market.
This week, the Big 3 implemented a less than P2.00 rollback in the per liter prices of petroleum products, earning the criticism of many politicians saying the rollback should not be less than P5.00.
“The Big 3 has not even implemented the significant rollback that the Filipino workers and people have been demanding for it to implement another increase. An price hike oil products next week is yet another proof that the Big 3 is abusing the Filipino people. We will meet it with protests,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.
“Last week, the DOE announced a minimal reduction of P2.00 per liter of petroleum products in light of the drop in oil prices in the world market, which gave leeway for the minimal reduction in the Big 3’s prices. Now, it is doing the oil cartel another service – suggesting them to hike prices,” he said.
KMU has been calling for a P9.00 rollback in petroleum prices, equivalent to its computation of the overpricing in petroleum products.
“The DOE is in effect telling the oil cartel: go on, you can hike prices and even recoup your income losses from the rollbacks. It will not let the oil cartel lose even a single centavo from its huge profits, which have been extracted from the workers and people through monopoly pricing and local overpricing,” added Labog.
“The Aquino regime is really proving to the workers and people that it is a spokesperson of the oil cartel,” said Labog.
Massive protests ahead
“The Aquino regime should be protecting the Filipino workers and people from the Big 3 but is conniving with the latter to further exploit us. The Filipino workers and people have no other recourse but to depend on our collective strength and fight such evil connivance,” said Labog.
“We are calling on everyone to fight the overpricing of petroleum products and the connivance between the Aquino regime and the Big 3. Let us assert our call for a P9.00 immediate rollback of oil prices as an immediate relief from high prices. Let us demand the junking of Oil Deregulation Law which allows the oil cartel to freely dictate local oil prices,” added Labog.
KMU said that it will hold a mobilization to Mendiola with other sectors on August 23 to start the massive protests against the Aquino regime-oil cartel connivance. Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU Chairperson
