Manila: Protest Over Oil Prices

CHEN:
Filipino activists take a hard stance over skyrocketing oil prices and runaway inflation. As pump prices soar to new heights, so does the ire of Manila residents. Let's take a closer look.

STORY:
Dozens of young activists rallied in front of an oil refinery's Manila headquarters today, protesting the rise in fuel costs and condemning the government for failing to stop inflation.

Activists from Anakbayan (Nation's Youth) staged the protest on the same day public transport fares were raised.

[Andrew Zarate, Spokesman for Anakbayan Metro]:
"We don't believe that the government has no power over these oil price increases. What's clear is that they're helpless to act because they're imbeciles and unwilling to do anything to help the people."

Pushing against security guards and hurling grease bombs towards the office of Petron, the country's largest domestic refining company, activists demanded that the 12 percent tax on oil and petroleum products be scrapped and the oil deregulation law that removes government subsidies be junked.

Unlike in other Asian countries where gas prices are subsidised, the petroleum industry in the Philippines is deregulated, forcing consumers to pay free-market rates for gas.

In this year alone, gas prices in the Philippines went up 18 times for a total increase of over 35 percent as global oil prices reached record-highs.

As public discontent grows, Anakbayan activists are not ruling out a political showdown with the government.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• NTD
• NTDTV
• news
• Manila
• Protest
• Oil-Prices
• inflation
• oil-refinery
• Anakbayan
• transport
• fares

[MrRayoter]

Yan nga ang problem mga Pre, hindi mo na nga kontrol yung Oil Price sa World Market... At dahil sa Oil Deregulation Law na ginawa ng Gobyerno natin, nawalan pa ulit ng kontrol sa Local Market na pabor sa mga gahaman dito, eh di nagkapatong-patong na ang presyo pag-dating sa mamamayan...

Tanggalin ang Oil Deregulation Law, bawiin ng Gov’t ang Petron, para at least dito man lang sa Local Market ay meron Oil Price Control.

[sager3691]

ANG KIKITID NG UTAK NYU!!! ang oil price hike kaya ay WORLDWIDE crisis noh! hindi lng sa pilipinas.. actually mas mura nga gasolina sa atin kaysa ibang 1st world countries.. doh!! sisihin nyu ung may-ari ng gasolina! at hindi ang pangulo ntn.. hayyy..

[gearzone2611]

Hindi mo maintindihan. Government cannot control oil prices, kasi most oil sa Pinas ay galing sa Middle East. They buy oil through USD money not Peso. Obviously ang peso has no impact sa oil buying power but has no value at all. So kaya mahal ang oil prices sa Pinas kasi ang buying power ng peso is so worthless, it has no value against sa ibang foreign currency. That is why government should fix the monetary system sa Pinas and stop printing worthless paper notes sa citizens at sa bansang Pinas!

[Vigil45]

hoy STAREX Piston! nagrollback na kaya i-rollback nyo din ang pamasahe! ang KAKAPAL NG PAGMUMUKHA NYO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!