Transport group wants oil price freeze during state of national calamity

MANILA, Philippines—The government should order a freeze in fuel prices this month in the light of the natural disaster that ravaged parts of Mindanao over past week, militant group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston, United Organization of Drivers and Transport Operators Nationwide) said.

In a statement, the group criticized the latest wave of pump price hikes, saying local oil companies were being insensitive to the current plight of Filipinos.

“This new oil price hike was made while many Filipinos are still submerged in flood waters after consecutive calamities and crises,” Piston president George San Mateo said in a statement.

Earlier this week, top oil firms Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Chevron Philippines Inc. and Total Corp. imposed a 60-centavo increase in unleaded gasoline prices and a 30-centavo hike in regular gasoline.

This came just two days after oil firms announced a 40-centavo and 20-centavo rollback in diesel and kerosene prices, respectively.

“We are calling on President Aquino to call for a national freeze on oil price hikes… in light of the natural calamities that have hit the country,” San Mateo said.

He said the President should address high oil prices, especially after Malacañang’s own declaration of a state of national calamity.

The government’s declaration comes in the wake of the onslaught of tropical storm Sendong, which brought heavy rains to parts of Mindanao, particularly Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, over the weekend.

President Aquino has admitted the government should have done more for flood victims. A thousand died and more than 300,000 people have been displaced due to floods.

The group also renewed its call for a repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, which allows fuel companies to hike fuel prices without prior government approval.

Piston threatened of a possible widespread “protest” by the first quarter of next year if the government fails to act on the group’s pleas.

According to San Mateo, the group’s own calculations have shown that fuel prices are still overpriced by as much as P9 per liter.