Malacanang yesterday assured the public that President Rodrigo Duterte was on top of the situation amid the surging oil price increases in the world market.
In a radio interview, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr said Duterte knew the situation at present and issued three marching orders to his Cabinet officials in an attempt to ease the effects of the oil price hikes on the public.
“The president is not numb. Nobody wants the prices of oil to increase like this. So he gave three marching orders to his Cabinet secretaries,” Roque told dzMM radio.
Duterte, he said, ordered the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to activate all its surveillance teams to strictly monitor the prices of commodities and arrest those who go far beyond the suggested retail price.
“The first order was for the DTI to monitor and arrest businessmen who violate the suggested retail price because there are many who take advantage of the situation,” Roque added.
“The prices are already high but I think 70% of businessmen are taking advantage. There is a fine for that and their business may be closed,” he said.
Roque added that Duterte also directed the Department of Labour and Employment to see if there is a need to increase the minimum wage.
“Secretary (Silvestre) Bello 3rd said the regional wage boards should meet. They will see if there is a need to increase the minimum wage because if the prices of commodities are high, the salary needs to meet that,” he said.
“But there is a process. This cannot be on a national scale because there is a law limiting to the regions,” Roque added.
The Palace official said Duterte ordered the Department of Energy (DoE) to look for other countries where the Philippines can get cheaper oil.
“The DoE is now looking for cheaper oil from non-OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) members, including Russia. We will do everything so we can get cheaper oil because not all oil producers are OPEC members,” Roque added.
“We will also look into the possibility if we can get even just diesel because we can get that from Russia,” he said.
Malacanang earlier called on traders and retailers not to take advantage of the oil price increases triggered by movement of prices in the world market.
This came after reports that the inflation rate continued to increase because of the oil price hikes and new excise taxes from the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law.
“You know, unfortunately, some of our countrymen are taking advantage of this Train Law and oil price hikes to increase also the prices of basic commodities,” Roque said in a news briefing in Marawi City.
“Our appeal to our retailers, while the prices of oil continued to increase, let’s unite the Filipino nation: Do not take advantage. The prices will really increase, do not overprice just to get more profit,” he added.
Roque said the government can also suspend the implementation of higher excise tax from the Train Law if the oil prices in the world market will hit $80 per barrel.
“Only the higher excise tax will not be collected if it will reach $80. There is still excise tax, the lower excise tax,” he clarified.This prompted local oil companies to implement price increase on gasoline by at least P1.60, kerosene by P1.00 and diesel by P1.15 per litre on Tuesday.
Currently, the prices of gasoline range from P49.25 to P59.26 and diesel from P40.25 to 46.33 per litre, according to data from the Department of Energy.



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