Probe high Sulu fuel prices--solon
Mindanao Bureau
First Posted 17:08:00 11/30/2008
Filed Under: Oil & Gas - Downstream activities
JOLO, Sulu -- Sulu Representative Munir Arbison is calling for an investigation into the "exorbitant selling prices" of diesel and gasoline, including liquified petroleum gas (LPG), in the province.
Arbison said on Sunday fuel prices here have not been going down despite the many rollbacks that oil companies have been implementing nationwide.
He said locals have been asking him to help curb the prevailing monopoly in the sale of fuel here.
Arbison said some people even called for a body to control the prices of diesel and gasoline on the island-province.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer found out that compared with other areas, prices of fuel here have been much higher.
An 11-kilogram cylinder of LPG for example is being sold at P670 here, or about 40 percent more than the Zamboanga City price of P459.
Arbison said that in nearby Zamboanga City, the average pump price of diesel only stood at P38.93 per liter compared with P48.35 here.
"Gasoline in Zamboanga is at P42.30 and kerosene is at P43.68 while in Sulu, gasoline sells for P50.06 and kerosene at P52.34," he said.
Arbison said prices of other commodities have been driven up by the fuel prices in their areas.
"This is already too much to bear for the people of Sulu, who do not have enough income to spend on basic goods and services," he said.
Arbison said that contrary to claims by businessmen that they also had to pay exorbitant fees for transporting fuel here, the high prices of fuel products here were simply due to abuse and greed.
"This has been going on for years now and local authorities do not even care and dare to correct this unscrupulous practice by influential businessmen. They are slowly siphoning off the strength of the poor, who are even much poorer now because of their greediness and voracious appetite for money," he said.
Arbison said local businessmen were "not helping the people" and have been driving them to "dig their own graves."
In Digos, Davao del Sur, concerned citizens called for an investigation into the big difference in fuel prices there compared to Davao City, 56 kilometers away.
A resident, who declined to be identified, told the Inquirer than when the gasoline price in Davao City was at P51.20 per liter, it was at P52.20 in Digos.
"Now that the gasoline price in Davao is only P37.26 per liter, dealers here (Digos) maintained their prices at more than P40," he said.
A staff at a local Shell station in Digos said the price difference was due to the cost of transporting fuel from Davao to Digos.
But he could not explain why the cost of transportation suddenly became P4 per liter when it was previously P1 only.
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