CEBU, Philippines — The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide Cebu Chapter (PISTON-Cebu) has deplored the recent oil price increases that have further burdened drivers and blamed the government’s inaction for it.
The group added the continued oil price increases was due to the government’s deregulation policies, one of them being the Oil Deregulation Law which, they claimed, had allowed oil cartels to manipulate prices without checks and balances.
“Ang kining laing hugna sa pagsaka sa presyo sa lana kay lain na sab kining hapak sa ubos na daang kita namong mga drayber ug nagbuot pasabot lang sa pagkibhang sa pagkaong among madala sa lamesa para sa among nagkadaiyang pamilya,” said PISTON-Cebu chairperson Greg Perez.
He added that the additional increase per liter means a net rise of P8.60 per liter, which translates to P258 additional diesel expenses for the usual 30 liters used by drivers per day.
This prompted PISTON Cebu to echo the call for the removal of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) and the Excise Tax imposed on diesel and other oil products.
Perez also agreed with a senator's call for the junking of the Oil Deregulation Law.
“Sa matag P67 kada litro sa diesel, ang P7.18 niini kay tungod sa 12% VAT, samtang ang P6 niini kay sa excise tax. Kung suspensuhon o tanggalon kini nga mga buwis, moubos hangtud sa P53.82 ang presyo kada litro sa diesel ug magkaadunay P395.40 nga dugang kita ang mga drivers matag adlaw,” Perez explained.
He also said that a presidential executive order is already enough to urgently implement such a reduction in oil prices, and this shall be followed later on by the Congress' deliberation of existing bills on the removal of oil taxes, the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, the government's reacquisition of PETRON, and others as long-term solutions.
PISTON-Cebu believed that eliminating oil taxes can lower oil prices and will benefit not only the drivers but also the community at large.
According to them, lowered oil prices could also mean curbing the impact of inflation, and even setting the condition for lowering the prices of other goods and services.
On the other hand, Perez said that the administration's inaction on the prediction of the Department of Energy (DOE) that oil prices will continue to soar in the next few weeks will only add fuel to the struggle of drivers and operators who are already threatened by the looming jeepney phaseout and strengthen the workers' call for higher wages.
He added that this will only amplify the public's outcry about the price increase of basic goods, while labor wages remain low.
To support their cause, drivers and the concerned citizens will launch petitions, pickets, and other forms of concerted actions in the following days.
Meanwhile, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III has ensured public utility drivers and operators nationwide that their pleas for fare adjustment did not fall on deaf ears.
“We are well aware and continue to hear their plight amid the continuing oil price hikes and their difficulty in earning enough for their families,” Guadiz said in their Facebook post.
Two weeks ago, transport groups Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), PISTON, Stop & Go Transport Coalition Incorporated, a d Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) had asked for a P2 for increase for jeepney fare nationwide citing high cost of fuel.
“Every fare increase has an economic impact and that is what has to be studied carefully by other government agencies such as the NEDA in order to come up with a fare increase that is justifiable and will not create a huge economic burden,” Guadiz added.
Ryan Benjamin Yu, transport leader and Cebu Integrated Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO MPC) general manager, earlier said that their group is not seeking any fare increase for jeepneys yet as they will opt for the abolition of excise tax for fuel but only for Public Utility Vehicles, which is one of the reasons on the high cost of fuel.
Yu told The FREEMAN yesterday that they already submitted their proposal to the Office of the President and the Department of Energy. –/GAN (FREEMAN)