A PROTEST action against oil price hikes and overpricing of petroleum products will be conducted by the Koalisyon ng Progresibong Manggagawa at Mamamayan (KPMM) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday, March 15.
The KPMM has earlier denounced the government’s utter insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Filipinos who face the brunt of weekly oil price increases.
The coalition, through organized multi-sectoral efforts, warned the government of looming “summer storms” to protest government inaction on the people’s clamor to reduce oil prices.
“The Aquino administration has been obviously sleeping on the job. While the President exerts too much effort with his own crusades and shady motives behind the Corona impeachment trial, he conveniently forgets that justice must also be served to Filipinos who are everyday swindled by the Big 3 oil companies through overpricing,” said Larry Tan, KPMM spokesperson.
Since the Oil Deregulation Law was implemented, Tan said overpricing on diesel has been estimated at P8.60.
He said extra profits of oil firms due to overpricing of diesel alone are estimated at P147 million a day.
To further quell effects of oil price hikes and overpricing, the KPMM has also called for the suspension of the expanded value added tax or E-Vat on oil.
The coalition is also calling for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, which it said has allowed oil cartels and foreign monopolies to dupe local consumers in the name of “free competition.”
“The government has not only displayed sheer lack of political will to protect the people from effects of rising oil prices. It has refused to suspend taxes on oil, just because government rakes in premium revenues with every oil price hike – an estimated P62 million pesos a day from diesel alone -- at the expense of the ordinary consumer,” Tan added.
In the first 10 weeks of 2012, he said at least eight rounds of oil price hikes have already been implemented.
The government reportedly earns an estimate of P62 million a day from the 12 percent on diesel due to oil price hikes this year.
Tan said oil prices are expected to rise by 25 centavos per liter, for the sixth straight week now.
Bong Labog of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), one of the participating organizations under KPMM, said with his supposed helplessness, Aquino simply identifies who his real ‘bosses’” are – the oil cartel and foreign oil monopoly.
“One excuse after another lame excuse made by the government and its callous talking heads openly insults the public day after day until Aquino acts on people’s demands. We are enraged with all this posturing,” Labog said.
