Fare rollback hearing: LTFRB to summon reps of oil firms

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will summon representatives of the big three oil companies and small oil its next hearing on a consumer groups' petition to roll back fares, a television report on Tuesday said. GMA News reporter Alex Tinsay said in his report over QTV's Balitanghali that this was the decision of the LTFRB during the consultative hearing on the National Council on Consumer Protection's petition to roll back bus and jeepney fares which began at 10 a.m. this morning. The next LTFRB hearing on the petition was set to November 4. The group is seeking a P1.50 decrease in jeepney fares and P2 for buses, saying that the latest price of crude oil delivery was enough to justify a fare rollback. However, the group failed to file a formal notice of publication on their fare reduction petition, said the report. For his part, Raul Concepcion, a member of a task force formed by the Department of Energy, said they will verify the data given by the petitioner. George San Mateo, spokesman of the militant Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston), called the petition "premature" and said the National Council on Consumer Protection's statistics are incorrect. Other transport groups present during the hearing likewise said they want oil companies to reduce fuel prices further before rolling back fares. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV