MEMBERS of Anakpawis partylist staged a noise barrage action today at the Litex Market in Commonwealth, Quezon City to protest the successive oil price increases imposed by big oil firms and independent oil players.
The noise barrage protest was staged in preparation for the Metro-Manila wide protest actions this Friday, June 21, against weekly oil price hikes and whammy of power and water rate increases.
“We are encouraging the public to join mass actions against non-stop oil price increases. To show rage against greedy oil companies and sky-high oil prices is only just and necessary. We must unite to demand the dismantling of the oil cartel and government regulation of the oil industry.”
“The weekly oil price hikes are too much to bear for the public and consumers. The oil cartel is bleeding Filipinos dry and the Aquino government is just watching helplessly,” said incoming Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap.
For the sixth consecutive week, Chevron, Petron, Shell and Seaoil raised the pump prices of diesel, gasoline and kerosene. Oil firms again used their alibi of rising world crude oil prices as basis for the latest price adjustment.
The previous increases in oil prices per liter are the following: June 11 – P0.50 gasoline; June 4 – P0.70 gasoline, P0.40 diesel, P0.40 kerosene; May 28 – P0.30 gasoline, P0.40 diesel; May 21 – P0.35 gasoline, P0.25 diesel; May 15 – P0.45 gasoline, P0.60 diesel.
“The Department of Energy (DoE) and Malacanang are not doing anything substantial to stop the oil price hikes. In fact, DoE have conveniently become an apologist for the big oil firms. “Taga-announce na lang ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis ang gobyerno.”
Hicap said it is high time for the government to strongly consider regulation of the downstream oil industry. “A deregulated oil industry only allowed the profiteering of oil companies, overpriced petroleum products and brought about unending suffering of consumers,” Hicap said.
“Only a decisive and effective policy reversal through the junking of the Oil Deregulation Law (ODL) can stop the weekly oil price hikes. Since 1997, oil companies have used the ODL as their license to increase prices at their every whim,” the Anakpawis leader said.
Anakpawis is set to re-file the House Bill demanding the repeal of the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law.
This coming Friday, Anakpawis partylist chapters in Metro Manila will join the NCR-wide protest actions against spate of price hikes of water, oil and the power rates.
The post Group protests weekly oil price hikes appeared first on Remate.