Court allows weekly oil price hike

MANILA, Philippines - A Manila judge has upheld a decision allowing the three big oil firms to raise pump prices on a weekly basis.

In a two-page order dated March 5, Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 reaffirmed his rejection of a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) seeking to stop the so-called Big 3 from increasing pump prices weekly.

Civil society group Social Justice Society (SJS) filed the TRO through legal counsel Vladimir Cabigao.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex Philippines Inc.) and Petron Corp. comprise the Big 3.

Cabigao said the denial of his petition for TRO and preliminary injunction is “inconsistent” with Pampilo’s Jan. 11 resolution allowing the opening and examination of the books of accounts of the oil companies.

He said that the court, by issuing the resolution, has given weight to allegations of over-pricing, cartelization and price-fixing against the three oil firms. The court resumes today the hearing on SJS’s allegations.

Pampilo, however, declared that his “denial of the petitioner’s motion is not inconsistent with its previous order,” since “the subjects of the two motions were different.”

He also noted that he had already resolved the arguments raised by Cabigao in his motion for reconsideration.

Cabigao insisted that while it may not be the function of the court to regulate the oil industry, it is duty bound to protect the people from abuses. – Sandy Araneta