About 300 members of the United Negros Drivers Operators Center called on the government to regulate and managethe oil industry again to stop what they called abusive price increases at a rally in front of the Fountain of Justice at Araneta Street in Bacolod City yesterday.

The group also called for the immediate abolition of the Downstream Oil Deregulation Law and for the removal of the expanded value-added tax on oil products.

UNDOC secretary general Jesse Ortega said the law has been abused by big oil companies and corporations and that has led to the suffering of the drivers and the entire nation, especially the marginalized sector.

“Today is the nationwide day of protest led by PISTON, the Pinagisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide and this is a warning protest,” Ortega said.

If oil prices continue to increase and the government remains mum, all groups under PISTON will organize a higher protest and might go on strike, he said.

Ortega also said that the group is dismayed at the inaction of the congressional representatives of Negros Occidental and the lone district of Bacolod on the oil price disparity. The congressional inquiry did not solve the problem since oil prices are still high compared to other provinces in the Visayas, Luzon, and in Mindanao, he said.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said the oil prices are too high and he believes there should be action from the national government to address the increases.

Bacolod City Councilors Archie Baribar and Dindo Ramos, chairpersons on the committees on Communication and Energy and Transportation, respectively, also supported the call of the drivers and said they believe it is time to let the national government to know that people in the provinces suffer from the oil price hikes.

Baribar said the City Government of Bacolod and its constituents are against the indiscriminate oil price increases.

Wennie Sancho, representative of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board said they support the cause of UNDOC, adding that the oil price increases is the reason for the decrease in purchasing power of workers.*LTG

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