KMU calls for nationwide protest vs. oil overpricing

Responding to the four rounds of oil price hikes this year, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno today called for a nationwide protest against oil overpricing in the coming weeks, saying the Aquino government should respond to the people’s demand for an immediate relief from the skyrocketting prices of petroleum products.

Since January, the three biggest oil companies have increased the price of diesel by P2.70 per liter, regular gasoline by P2.60 per liter, unleaded gasoline by P2.20 per liter and kerosene by P2.50 per liter.

KMU has been calling on the government to stop the overpricing of petroleum products, saying the local oil companies have been overpricing their products by as much as P9.00 per liter in August last year.

“Chevron, Shell and Petron have been increasing the prices of their products like they did not buy the oil they are selling now three months ago. They are taking advantage of every price hike in the world market to try to justify their immediate and huge price increases in the country,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“That is one of the ways that the Big 3 oil companies overprice their products, by immediately and exorbitantly hiking prices whenever there’s an increase in the world market. They are raking huge profits while the people are suffering from the high prices of oil and other commodities,” he added.

Aquino conniving with Big 3

The labor leader condemned Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for ignoring calls for an end to the overpricing of petroleum products, the scrapping of the 12% Value-Added Tax on oil, and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.

“The Aquino government has so far ignored three nationwide protests which we have launched in furtherance of our calls. It has actively colluded with the Big 3 in hiking the prices of petroleum products whenever the flimsiest basis for a price hike presents itself,” Labog said.

“The Filipino workers and people are suffering because wages and incomes do not rise as fast and as significant as the prices of oil and basic goods and services. We will not hesitate to launch more nationwide protests against the overpricing of petroleum products,” he added.

“The Aquino government has left us with no other option than to launch protests. It is forcing us to hold bigger and bolder protests,” he said.