Tagbilaran Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) looks at conducting more inquiries as the city councilors feel that more information are needed than those presented by the resource persons during an inquiry about the high prices of fuel products being sold by gas stations in the city compared to other towns in the province.
As a result, the city aldermen decided to refer the matter to the SP’s Committee on Energy for further discussions and for a deeper inquiry on the real reason for the high prices of fuel sold in the city.
This was the revelation of Kag. Adam Jala, in a radio interview on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, over Newsmakers Ug Uban Pa hosted by the mother and son tandem of Ardy and Chandymar Araneta Batoy.
The representatives of the so-called “Big 3” oil companies who attended the regular session of the SP said that market forces are dictating the prices of fuel products in the city.
“ Ang Ilaha gyud giingon is that all of the prices are market driven, meaning it is due to the market forces ngano nga ingon niana daw ang presyo,” Jala said in the interview.
He added that the the prices of the fuel that the retailers import are already set by the head offices of thr Big 3 fuel companies.
The so-called Big 3 fuel companies are Shell, Petron and Caltex/Chevron.
“Naka set na ang base fuel price ug tagaan lang sila ug murag a certain margin for profit,” the alderman bared.
Jala hinted the need to invite representatives from the Big 3 companies‘ head office and not just the local fuel retailers to answer why they have set the fuel prices as such.
The Committee in Energy will also invite representatives from national agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Energy in the next round of inquiries, Jala stated in the interview.
Jala mentioned that in the succeeding meetings the owners of the “white stations” will also be invited. White stations are gas stations that are independent and unaffiliated with the Big 3 fuel companies.
According to reports, among those who appeared in the legislative inquiry were Servando Abaya, Jr. of the Bohol JL Distribution Systems, Inc.; Angelo Racho of the Petron Service Station; Danilo Abellana of the Bohol Provincial Employees’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Anadelyn Estoque, Shell Depot supervisor; Rico Trinidad, Shell retail manager; Fredison Ingles, Florencio Caltex Station; Hydie Owens, Sailor Oil MBC Corporation of Mariveles, Dauis.
There were others who were invited but were not accommodated to speak due to lack of material time, reports added.
BACKGROUND
SP looks at discussing the perceived high prices of gasoline and other petroleum products being sold by gas stations based in the city compared to the gas stations in other towns in the province, particularly in Dauis and in Ubay.
The issue stems from the public clamor about the high prices of gasoline and petroleum products sold in the city. The public is puzzled why gas stations located in other towns are able to sell gasoline products at a lower price compared to gas station located in Tagbilaran.
Jala said that the issue on high gasoline prices is nothing new. He added that the same issue was tackled before in the SP, but there was no closure or clear resolution.
Moreover, he said that there are insinuations that, allegedly, some politicians are protecting some owners of gas stations who are selling expensive petroleum products. It is in the best interest of public servants like Jala to conduct a deep dive on the issue as they are being accused of protecting the sellers of expensive gasoline and gasoline-related products, the alderman said.
Meanwhile, in a separate telephone interview yesterday, Jan. 9, 2021, Kag. Augustinus “Dodong” Gonzaga said that the white stations allegedly don’t put additives in their fuel products unlike the products of the Big 3 fuel companies, which could be one of the reasons that the white stations are able to sell gasoline and petroleum products at a lower price.
He is interested to ask the owners of the white stations how they are able to lower their prices in the succeeding meetings.