Press Release
November 10, 2009

ROXAS WARNS OF CONSPIRACY BETWEEN DOE, OIL COMPANIES

Senator Mar Roxas today warned a conspiracy between the energy department and oil companies is again seemingly in the works to force the lifting of fuel price caps imposed to protect Filipinos still reeling from the damage caused by recent calamities.

Roxas said Energy Secretary Angie Reyes' statement siding with oil companies' claims that supplies are now running low reinforced the oil industry's threat of an oil shortage unless the price cap imposed under Executive Order 839 is lifted.

"Malinaw na muli na namang nakikipagkutsabaan itong si Angie Reyes sa malalaking kumpanya ng langis upang lalong pahirapin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan (It is obvious that Angie Reyes is again conspiring with oil companies to further the suffering of our people)," said Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee.

"Mabuti nga at naglagay ng price cap ang Malakanyang sa presyo ng langis dahil totoo namang sobrang taas na ng sinisingil nitong mga kumpanya ng langis na ito. Bakit imbes na ipaglaban ni Angie Reyes ang EO 839 eh sinasang-ayunan niya pa ang sinasabi nitong mga kumpanyang ito? (It was good that Malacañang put a cap on oil prices because they have been raking in too much from their overpricing. Why should Reyes defend the oil companies' interests instead of defending EO 839?)," Roxas fumed.

Roxas was reacting to Reyes' warning on Monday after meeting with representatives of oil companies that domestic oil supply is already running low. EO 839 imposed a cap on fuel prices in Luzon to October 15 levels after oil companies hiked their prices by as much as P2 per liter a few weeks after typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng devastated Luzon and other parts of the country.

"Ang DoE, dapat kakampi ang taumbayan, hindi ang mga ganid sa gobyerno at pribadong sektor. Pangunahing responsibilidad ng gobyerno ang siguruhing protektado ang karapatan ng mamamayan na magkaroon ng maayos na buhay. Hindi dapat nito itinutulak ang interest ng mga kumpanya ng langis (The DOE must be the ally of the consumers and not the private sector. It is the prime responsibility of the government to protect the interest of consumers, and not the private sector)," Roxas said.

The Visayan senator has consistently criticized local oil companies particularly the Big Three - Shell, Petron and Caltex/Chevron - for refusing to lower domestic oil prices to match global oil price declines.

Roxas is also critical of Reyes' failure to compel oil firms to open their financial books to determine their real income, noting that instead of exercising his power to open the oil firms' financial books, Reyes consistently engaged oil companies in dubious 'dialogues' instead to 'convince' them to bring down their prices voluntarily.

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