Press Release
October 12, 2008

ROXAS ASKS : ARE GMA AND SEC. REYES AFRAID OF OIL FIRMS?
GOV'T ABSCONDING ON DUTY TO CHECK OIL PROFITS, SAYS SOLON

Liberal President Sen. Mar Roxas over the weekend lambasted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Department of Energy (DoE) for their indifference to calls for a review of the financial books of the country's major oil players to determine how much money they are making from dealing and retailing fuel.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee, had earlier challenged the energy department to compel oil companies to disclose details of their expenses to determine the veracity of claims that they have yet to recover from the high prices of oil during the summer months.

"Isa lang ang tanong ko: Bakit hanggang sa ngayon hindi pa nila masabi kung tama ba o mali ang sinisingil ng mga oil companies. Binulatlat ba nila ang libro o hindi? (My question is, how come the government cannot say until now whether the oil companies are charging the right price or not? Has the government opened the books of the oil companies as mandated by law?)," he asked in an interview over DWIZ radio.

"Nasa kanila ang kapangyarihan para alamin kung magkano ba nila binili itong imbentaryo nila. Ito bang imbentaryo, ito ba yung langis, yung diesel, o yung gasolina na binenta ngayong buwan na ito? Magkano ang kinita nila? Ang kinita ba nila ay 10% o 20% o 50%? Sila ba ay nagsamantala o hindi? Bakit hanggang sa ngayon hindi pa nagagawa ng gobyerno yan? E isang taon na natin tinutulak ito eh (The government has all the powers to check the inventories of oil companies. Is it oil, diesel or gasoline that they sold this month? How much did these companies earn? Did these companies earn 10%, or 20%, or 50%? Did these companies take advantage of consumers? How come the government has not asked those questions, considering that we have been pushing this for a year?)," Roxas added.

He insisted the DoE has the power to review the fiscal books of the oil companies to ascertain how much more they have to rollback the prices of their fuel and other petroleum products.

"Ano ba ang kinatatakutan nila? Takot ba sila sa oil companies? Takot ba silang umangal ang mga oil companies na ito? Pero nasa batas iyan eh (What are they afraid of? Are they afraid of the oil companies? Are they powerless to question the oil companies? That's what the law authorizes the government to do)," the Ilonggo senator insisted.

He also said: "Ang gobyerno po ang may kapangyarihan. Ang gobyerno po, ang Department of Energy, sila po ang may kapangyarihan na magpatawag, at imbes na makiawa sa oil companies, sabihin lang nila wala na ito sa awa-awa, wala na ito sa paki-paki-usapan (The government has the power under the law. This is the Department of Energy which has the power to force, and not to plead with, these oil companies. They should not resort to appeals or requests)."

"Bakit tayo nakikiusap? Simpleng simple. Sang-ayon sa batas, amin na yung inyong libro. Ang gobyerno, hindi makakapagtakda ng presyo, pero may kapangyarihan na i-check ang libro para malaman natin kung pinagsamantalahan tayo o hindi. Yan ang nakapaloob sa batas (The government must not just appeal to the oil companies. The law is very simple. You can tell the oil companies, give me your books so I can check whether you're charging the right price to consumers or not)."

Roxas vowed to grill Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes over the issue during the budget deliberations on the proposed budget of the DoE in 2009.

"Dapat tatanungin natin sa kanya yan. E iisa lang naman ang boss niya--si Presidente GMA. So bakit hindi siya inuutusan ni GMA? Baka may pahintulot ni PGMA yan na hindi niya bubuksan ito. Ang punto ay nasa trabaho nila yan eh (This question has to be answered by Reyes. And he has only one boss, and that's President GMA. So, how come GMA is not ordering him? Or did GMA tell him not to inspect the books of the oil companies. My point is that it's their job - to inspect the oil companies' books)," he said.

He complained: "Saan ka nakakita na halos lingo-linggo, nandito tayo sa kalbaryo. Hindi natin alam kung magbababa ba o magtataas ba. Hindi natin alam. E yan ang role ng government e. Ang role ng government--yan ang dapat gumitna sa interes ng mga mamamayan at dito sa mga dambuhalang kumpanyang ito (Every week, we have to deal with our own Calvary. We don't know if the oil companies will raise or lower prices. But that's what the government should be doing - protecting the interest of the people against these giant oil companies)."

The senator has been pushing for a zero value added tax (VAT) on oil to alleviate high prices of oil products.

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