Militant labor group, Kilusang Mayo Uno – Metro Manila led a protest rally at a gasoline station in Quezon City today as giant oil companies already announced that a new ‘big-time’ oil price hike is set to be implemented this week.
Citing news reports, KMU Metro Manila said that prices of gasoline will increase to P1.50-P1.60 per liter, diesel to P1.00 – P1.10 per liter and P0.85-P0.95 per liter. According to the group, series of weekly oil price adjustments since January 2018 shoot up diesel prices by P8.95, gasoline by P8.07 and kerosene by P9.21.
Labor groups decried the weekly oil price hikes as they said these increases triggered price adjustments on other vital services and commodities, which the Filipino workers have been shouldering on a daily basis.
KMU Metro Manila also blamed the impositions of laws that “institutionalized and legitimized” oil prices in the country including the Oil Deregulation Law and the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. Protesters said that these laws must immediately be junked in order to somehow ease the burden of our working Filipinos.
“The Duterte government’s inaction over the series rising cost of oil and other petroleum products is the primarily to be blamed why big oil companies can easily impose price increases of their products. The continuing price hikes of oil means additional burden to our already burdened shoulders!” said Ed Cubelo, KMU Metro Manila chairperson.
Cubelo added, “Instead of allowing oil companies to raise prices, the Duterte government must raise the salary of our workers so they can easily cope with the rising prices of basic commodities and services and at the same time live decently.”
KMU Metro Manila said that the protest today only marks start of the series of mass actions that will call for the stopping of oil price hikes until President Duterte will do nothing on the issue of oil prices and demands for wage increase. The group also said that they will be holding series of rallies in Mendiola, offices of the oil companies in Makati City and at the head office of the Energy Department in the coming days.
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