Militants picket Pandacan oil depot to protest fuel price hikes

Militant groups picketed the oil depot in Manila's Pandacan district Wednesday to protest the recent round of fuel price hikes. The protesters from Gabriela scored oil companies for the repeated price increases in fuel products so far this year, radio dzBB reported. But security personnel at the depot set up blockades and railings to prevent the protesters from entering the area. While they were not able to enter the depot, the protesters vowed to continue questioning what they called the overpricing of fuel products. On Tuesday, fuel firms imposed the latest round of price hikes for regular and unleaded gasoline, diesel and kerosene. Shell and Total raised prices of diesel by 85 centavos per liter, with Shell and Petron also raising prices of kerosene by 85 centavos. Petron raised prices of its diesel by only 70 centavos per liter. Shell and Total also raised prices of unleaded and regular fuel by 50 centavos per liter. Petron raised prices of its Blaze, XCS and Xtra by 50 centavos per liter. Oil firms had claimed the price adjustments were due to price hikes in the world market. — LBG, GMA News