Baguio solon appeals anew to ‘big 3’ oil companies

February 24, 2018 Metro BLISTT

Baguio City Representative Mark Go reiterated his appeal to the three big oil companies for the reduction of pump prices in Baguio City.
This, as the major oil companies Petron, Shell and Chevron failed to take action after the third investigation of the Committee Energy held December last year.
Charmaine Canilas, Petron Vice-President for Corporate Affairs, claims that the company made three-peso reduction in its prices in Baguio City.
“We still find the reduced oil prices insufficient considering that the difference still varies from five pesos to as high as ten pesos. Like in Petron Baguio, As of February 20, Diesel per liter is P42.65 while In Rosario, La Union it is P37.26. The price of XCS unleaded per liter in Baguio is P58.67 and in Rosario, La Union it is Php 48.70. The disparity is P5.39 for Diesel and P9.97 for XCS Unleaded,” Go explained.
“Diesel in Caltex Baguio is priced at P42.60 per liter and P37.68 per liter in Rosario, La, Union. Unleaded platinum is P58.72 per liter in Baguio and P49.10 in Rosario La, Union having a difference of P4.92 and P9.62 respectively. On the other hand, Shell Diesel in Baguio is sold at P42.58 per liter and P37.68 in Rosario, La Union. V-Power gasoline in Baguio is P58.86 per liter while P49.15 per liter in Rosario, la Union, a matter of P4.9 difference in Diesel and P9.71 in Gasoline,” the solon added.
The solon said that the petroleum companies were not able to satisfactorily explain the disparity of prices in Baguio City and Rosario, La Union but rather resorted to redundant justifications.
“This is the fourth hearing conducted but still, we are not getting from them any clearer answers on these unreasonable prices. We need a concrete action to address this predicament of the people of Baguio City,” Go said.
Asec. Leonido Pulido of DOE said that the agency will be releasing a department circular that would look into the component of prices to be able to define the reasonability of prices. Go manifested his interest in the volume of fuel that these oil companies sell in Baguio compared to Rosario, La Union to determine if there exists a competition.
The major oil companies were given until Friday (Feb. 23) to comply in the submission of data and to take immediate action to reduce the oil prices in Baguio.
“This big disparity in oil prices has been the clamor of my constituents and this continues to burden us. Surely, I will file a measure amending the Oil Deregulation Law authorizing the Department of Energy in setting price ceiling for petroleum products.” Go ended. ABN