PRESS RELEASE
June 18, 2018
Laban Konsyumer Inc. presses Unbundling of fuel prices amidst oil industry objection
In the group?s most recent communication to the Office for Competition of the Department of Justice ( OFC- DOJ) and the Competition Enforcement Office of the Philippine Competition Commission ( CEO-PCC ), Laban Konsyumer Inc. ( LKI ) President and former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Atty. Vic Dimagiba spoke on behalf of consumers around the country, saying that ?as consumers, we need to be informed whether the market behavior and retail prices of fuel products are in order and in compliance with the law.?
Dimagiba went on to point out an example of his observations on oil prices and say that just recently oil companies have posted big time price discounts in service stations to as high as Php 3.00 per liter in the guise of corporate development program. As a consumer I benefit from these discounts, but also wonder whether the pump prices should be much lower than what it should be.
In addition, LKI also observed that prices are adjusted upward or downward weekly, in similar or identical amounts, and that service stations of the oil companies and the new players are selling diesel and other products at the same amount per liter in specific trading area.
In previous letters to the Department of Energy (DOE), LKI challenged the government amidst the big time price hikes and big time price rollbacks the past weeks, asking them to gain the trust and confidence of informed consumers. In their letter to DOE, the group said that ?as we consistently advocate, the consumers deserve to be informed even while the industry and the DOE both make public announcements that the industry operates in a deregulated market.?
Hopefully, the DOE don?t blink and the reported circular on unbundling of prices of petroleum products, which LKI had supported consistently , be finally issued by Secretary Alfonso Cusi, amidst the objections of the industry players in focused group discussions held recently.
LKI is a new member of Consumers International, a membership organization for consumer groups around the world. Consumer International is composed of over 200 member organizations in more than 100 countries to empower and champion the rights of consumers everywhere. Dimagiba also acts as Chairman of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Consumer Policy Committee (COPOLCO) of the Philippines.
For any inquiries or concerns, you may reach LKI President Vic Dimagiba at 0917-812-5546 or visit www.labankonsyumer.com , like us on Facebook or send email to labankonsyumer@gmail.com
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