Former Bayan Muna Congressman Ferdinand Gaite lambasted the Department of Energy (DOE) for acting as a “mere spokesperson of big oil companies,” as another round of oil price increases was implemented last Tuesday.

Gaite criticized the DOE’s “passive stance” in regulating oil prices and its failure to protect consumers from continuous price increases.

“The DOE has become nothing but a mouthpiece of oil cartels, readily accepting their justifications for price increases without scrutiny. Instead of protecting the people’s interests, they have become enablers of corporate greed,” Bayan Muna’s third nominee for next year’s elections said.

“Dapat maging mas maging pro-active ang DOE lalo pa sa pagtutulak ng mas murang langis, tulad ng pag-lobby sa Kongreso na isalang na ang ‘Unbundling of Oil Prices bill’ at ang pagtanggal sa value added tax sa langis,” the former legislator emphasized.

Oil companies implemented prices increases of P1.15 per liter of gasoline, P1.10 per liter of diesel, and P0.80 per liter of kerosene yesterday.

The country saw a net increase of P10.15 per liter for gasoline and P9.40 per liter for diesel, and a net decrease of P1.40 per liter for kerosene in the last 12 months.

In its latest oil price monitoring announcement, the DOE said there is a 22.4% decrease in oil production in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricane Raphael.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ announcement of delaying production hikes while the market continue to digest US election results are among the reasons for this week’s price hikes, DOE added.

Bayan Muna said that in the face of DOE’s failure, it has become urgent for concrete legislative measures beyond congressional investigations.

“Dapat ding tuunan ng Kongreso ang mga panukalang ito at di lamang ang mga imbestigasyon dahil ang mga ito ang babawas sa gastusin ng ating mamamayan,” he added.

The former lawmaker called for immediate passage of the Oil Price Unbundling bill and the removal of VAT on petroleum products, stating these are concrete steps to provide immediate relief to consumers bearing the brunt of successive oil price increases.

“The people cannot wait any longer. We demand genuine price regulation and immediate intervention from the government. The DOE must stop being an apologist for oil companies and start fulfilling its mandate to protect public interest,” Gaite concluded. # (Raymund B.Villanueva)