A Negrense businessman yesterday reiterated the call for government to act on the price difference of fuel sold in Manila and Bacolod City.

“The price difference is as high as P8 for gasoline and P6 for diesel. My question is why a wide variance?” Eduardo Alunan said.

Cebu and Iloilo raised a howl two years ago and their militancy reduced the difference in price to only P2, he said. “Here, they are taking advantage of our complacency and passiveness. Something ought to be done,” he added.

Alunan said the cheapest in Metro Manila is Petron with prices of diesel at P41.45, super extra unleaded P52, XCS P54.05 and blaze P56.70.

But in Bacolod, diesel becomes P47.70, unleaded P59.34, super unleaded P59.94 and blaze P63.22, he added.

He also pointed out that prices vary in Manila among the oil companies, but in Bacolod, there is an unholy uniformity.

“They cannot claim storage problems or cost of shipment. The fuel is theirs and most of them have depots in Bacolod,” he said.

“Has government been sleeping on the job? If so, Negrenses should seek compensation from all these overcharges all these years from oil companies and government. Or was government paid to sleep?” he asked.

Alunan said he raised the matter with Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, who replied: “Let's hold a public hearing soon with topnational officials.*CPG

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