PISTON seeks junking of Oil Deregulation Law

Transport group PISTON on Sunday urged the government to junk the Oil Deregulation Law instead of shifting the weight of surging fuel prices to drivers and commuters.

"Panawagan natin sa gobyerno, baka kailangang tanggalin ang Oil Deregulation Law dahil ito ang sanhi ng taas-babang presyo ng petrolyo sa bansa," said PISTON National President Mody Floranda in a super radyo dzBB interview.

(We are calling on the government to maybe remove the Oil Deregulation Law because this causes the up and down movement of oil prices in the country.)

He stressed that the P1 provisional fare increase could slightly help drivers, but it still did not make sense as a whole, especially since the increase in gasoline reached up to P19 per liter.

"Sa ngayon, kapag tayo ay naka-200 passengers, may dagdag na 200 pesos sa kita ng mga driver. Kung dati ay nakakapag-uwi ng 500 pesos ang driver, magiging 700 pesos na," he said.

(Presently, when you have 200 passengers, that adds P200 to the driver's earnings. If the driver previously took home P500, it now becomes P700.)

"Ang effect nito, makakatulong ito sa mga driver at operator pero magtataas din ng boundary. Sasabihin ng mga operator na mataas ang presyo ng piyesa. Maghahati ang driver at operator sa halagang piso," Floranda added.

(Effectively, this will help drivers and operators, but boundaries would also increase. Operators will say that vehicle spare parts increased. The driver and operator will have to share that P1.)

PISTON noted that the Oil Deregulation Law failed to deliver its original promise to lower fuel prices through unrestricted trade "and has since afforded oil companies the freedom to raise fuel prices without significant government oversight."

On Tuesday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved a P1 provisional increase in the minimum fare for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) effective Sunday, October 8.

The decision was reached following a hearing between the LTFRB, some transportation and commuter groups on the fare hike petitions filed amid rising fuel prices. — DVM, GMA Integrated News