FILE PHOTO: Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Public Services. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday appealed to gasoline station operators to offer discounts as oil prices continue to increase.
Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, said it is “unconscionable at this time to amass earnings as high oil prices squeeze the people dry.”
“In the absence of oil price control under a deregulated regime, we urge operators of gasoline stations to ensure competitive prices by offering its customers discounts on fuel products,” she said in a statement.
READ: Series of fuel price hikes may dampen recovery of PH economy — economist
“This will benefit both the public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and private motorists who are hurting from the incessant oil price increases as we continue to survive through the pandemic,” she added.
Poe also asked the government to release at once the PUV drivers’ subsidy that is funded in the 2022 budget.
“In vetting the list of beneficiaries, we expect concerned agencies to be thorough so that no qualified PUV driver is left behind without any assistance,” she said.
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