At least 28 gasoline stations in Northern Mindanao have shut down after running out of fuel supply a month since the conflict erupted in the Middle East.

According to the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), police have been monitoring the prices of petroleum products to ensure there is no overpricing after the ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, contributed to a fuel crisis in the Philippines.

PRO-10 said the monitoring is also conducted to prevent hoarding. However, police clarified that no cases of fuel hoarding have been recorded in the region, as of this writing.

“Lahat naman ng ito ay not because nagtatago sila ng supply, talagang sadya lang na walang supply na makuha yung mga stations na yun and we have confirmed this. Nagpadala tayo ng mga pulis to check yung kanilang mga tangke in coordination with DOE. patuloy ang coordination natin with them in the enforcement of related laws,” PRO-10 Director, Brigadier General Christopher Abrahano, said.

HOLY WEEK

Despite the fuel crisis, PRO-10 assured the public that it has enough fuel inventory for police operations, especially during the Holy Week.

PRO-10 said a deployment plan is already in place, including the strategic positioning of mobility assets to ensure quick emergency response.

More than 2,000 police officers are set to be deployed in pilgrimage and recreational sites in the region to ensure public safety.

“We still have resources enough resources para isecure yung region 10 pero as part of our risk management plan pinag-iisipan na namin yung judicious use of resources pwde naman kasi in a small area of convergence pwde hindi pa ikot-ikot ang sasakyan pwde standby point lang siya pero maintain ang visibility,” Abrahano said.