DOE launches online portal for gas station price violations

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has launched an electronic complaint platform where consumers can report gasoline stations suspected of violating fuel pricing rules or experiencing supply shortages amid tensions in the Middle East.

According to the DOE, the public can submit concerns through the eReport tab on the eGov application.

Users must select the “Gas Station Concerns” option, fill out the required details, and indicate whether the issue is ongoing or was previously observed.

The DOE urged the public to report suspicious activities at gasoline stations, including:

• Panic buying or long queues at stations
• Fuel hoarding, or consumers purchasing more petroleum products than necessary
• Non-compliance with fuel pricing, such as rapid and hefty price increases within a week
• Unauthorized price increases or violations of pricing regulations
• Refusal to sell fuel, or stations unwilling to provide petroleum products to customers
• Fuel shortages, or limited to no available petroleum products at stations

The DOE said it is working with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to intensify monitoring against possible hoarding and profiteering in the sale of petroleum products.

The agency said it has received initial reports and evidence indicating potential irregularities in parts of Luzon and Mindanao. However, it did not provide details.

The development comes as the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping corridor between Iran and Oman, has been closed amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The strait is considered the world’s most vital oil export route, linking major Gulf oil producers to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Earlier, the DOE’s Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) projected a minimum increase of P9.00 per liter for gasoline, P19.00 per liter for diesel, and P31.00 per liter for kerosene this week due to continuing concerns over the Middle East conflict.

The DOE also said it will appeal to oil firms to stagger the implementation of price hikes starting this week.

For reference, the agency earlier said pump prices from March 6 to March 9 should not exceed the following ranges:

• Gasoline (RON 97/100): P53.70 to P76.50 per liter
• Gasoline (RON 95): P50.00 to P71.04 per liter
• Gasoline (RON 91): P49.00 to P64.70 per liter
• Diesel: P49.00 to P66.59 per liter
• Diesel Plus: P56.80 to P74.81 per liter
• Kerosene: P78.90 to P99.89 per liter

—MCG, GMA Integrated News