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MANILA – Malacañang is saddened over another round of oil price hikes this week amid the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after oil firms announced that both gasoline and diesel prices would increase by PHP0.75 to PHP0.70 per liter, respectively, starting Tuesday.
“Nakakalungkot po talaga iyan na tataas ang presyo ng petrolyo sa panahon ng pandemya. Pero mayroon na po tayong polisiya na liberalize po natin ang presyo ng mga petrolyo dito sa Pilipinas at sumusunod po tayo sa market prices ng petrolyo (It is sad that petroleum prices are rising during the pandemic. But we have a policy that liberalized the oil prices in the Philippines and we are following the market prices of petroleum products),” he said.
Roque explained that the government used to subsidize oil price hikes until the signing of Republic Act 8479 or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.
“Dati-rati po tinutustusan natin para hindi po masyado tumaas-baba ang presyo, pero ang nagbabayad po niyan ay ang sambayanang Pilipino maski hindi naman pantay-pantay ang consumption ng petrolyo (Before, the government subsidized oil price hikes to prevent changes in oil prices, but the funds came from taxpayers even if their gas consumption varied),” he said.
He said the Philippines has no control over oil prices which are driven by the international market.
“So, under a liberalized scheme po ngayon eh talagang susunod po tayo sa market forces (So, under a liberalized scheme, we really now follow the market forces),” he added.
Roque, however, assured that the government has taken steps such as energy conservation measures and making sure the prices demanded by gas stations have reasonable basis.
The oil firms that earlier announced upward adjustments on their pump prices effective Tuesday are Seaoil, Cleanfuel, PetroGazz, Chevron for its Caltex brand, Total and PTT Philippines, marking the fourth consecutive week of an increase. (PNA)
