Naiinggit yata, ng malaman na meron budget sa paghuli ng mga small Liquified Petroleum Gas Dealers. Akala ko ba ang NBI ay nagco-concentrate sa paglutas at pag-imbistiga ng mga malalaking kaso. Trabaho ba nila talaga ang mang-raid ng LPG dealers. Hindi ba’t maraming kaso, mga kaso pa nga, ang nakabinbin sa Bureau na magpahanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nalulutas ng NBI. Ayaw ni Harriet Demetriou at Kaye Torres ng ganyan. Sino na nga ba, Director Wykes ang pumatay sa kaakit-akit na premyadong aktres na si Ms Nida Blanca? Wala na ba kayong mas mahalagang dapat gawin?
May nakapagsabi sa akin na "insider" sa LPG, na sa isang meeting na pinamunuan ni Director Wycoco at ng kanyang miyembro ng round table (teka, parang panahon ni King Arthur yun, ha?), mariing sinabi ni Wycoco na tigil muna ang panggigipit ng NBI sa mga small LPG dealers.
Ang dahilan ay ang pag-uusap na ginagawa sa pagitan ng Department of Energy. Major LPG dealers at ng mga miyembro ng LPG Marketers Association at LPG Refillers Association. Hindi na ba sinusunod ang utos ng kanilang hepe. Ayaw ni Director Lolito Utitco ng ganyan.
Kanya-kanya na bang diskarte ang mga NBI agents o Department Heads?
Bakit hindi muna pabayaan mag-usap na kung tutuusin ay para na rin sa kapakanan ni Juan, ang isyu at sigalot ng mga small LPG dealers at ng mga majors, gaya ng Shell, Liquigaz, Petron, Total?
Nagpadala ng statement ang mga miyembro ng LPGMA na kinokondena ang kilos na ito ng NBI. Basahin natin.
"The NBI has struck again. The recent raids of these LPG establishments owned by the independent marketers and refillers come at a time when the DOE has been pursuing the LPG cylinder swapping in the Luzon arena.
Negotiations are under way to address the complaints of the independent marketers and refillers about the reality of business where LPG cylinders change hands, depending on the preferences of the consumers. Household buyers are the ultimate consumers and if they decide to shift brands, any industry player should not refuse to receive in exchange a different LPG cylinder in the course of the purchase. There are various reasons for changing brands — this could be price difference, availability of the product in times of emergency and the need for a replacement LPG is always an emergency, or accessibility to the household buyer. A prohibition to shift brands would be anti-consumer and no democratic government must ever support such policy.
The issue of LPG cylinder swapping must be resolved in earnest if there is truly a concern for the welfare of all consumers. The raids of the NBI when discussions are being held smacks of bad faith on the part of the oil majors, and even of the NBI that allowed such raids to be conducted. While the independent LPG marketers and refillers had strongly manifested their interest for an early approval of the guidelines to effect LPG cylinder swapping, the oil majors have shown their hostility to the proposal. Pryce Gas has expressed support to the swapping, because of the proposal. Pryce Gas has expressed support to the swapping, because of its own experience when Pryce cylinders were boarded by one of the industry players.
With the cylinder exchange cycle, there is a problem with respect to the maintenance of LPG cylinders. A brand owner would have no control of the cylinders once they are circulated in the market. The solution would be to create a fund that is earmarked solely for this purpose. According to sources, the independent LPG marketers and refillers expressed willingness to pay an additional amount for their bulk purchases from the oil majors to be able to raise the funds but the oil majors had shown reluctance. It is strange why the oil majors whose only role is to collect the additional amount — which will be paid for by the independent LPG marketers and refillers anyway — would not extend help, especially when the fund thus created would be used to repair old and purchase new LPG cylinders.
The oil majors may have been emboldened by the news that the present DOE Secretary has already submitted his resignation to join the Shell offices in Singapore and that the new appointee could be another ex-official of Shell Philippines. If that is the case, then the policies on oil utilization and energy in this country would have been in the hands of Shell and the oil majors. This country will never be able to break the bondage of foreign domination and control."
Oo nga pala, DOE Secretary Vince Perez, totoo nga ba itong pahayag na ito.
Ito ba rin ang dahilan kung bakit patuloy ang pagtaas ng presyo ng LPG gayung hindi naman dapat dahil, kung baga, latak na lang ito sa mga oil companies na prinocess lamang.
KAILANGAN BIGYAN NG PANSIN ITO AGAD NI DIRECTOR WYKES. BUKAS ANG AMING PITAK.
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