Jeepney drivers and operators who are members of the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) denounced another increase in fuel prices on July 9 for the fourth consecutive week. Gasoline increased by ₱1.25-₱1.50, diesel by ₱0.40-₱0.60 and kerosene by ₱0.60-₱0.80.

This year, the net price increase of petroleum products has reached ₱9.25 per liter for gasoline, ₱8.4 per liter for diesel and ₱1.75 per liter for kerosene. In Metro Manila, the price of gasoline is ₱54-₱86.77 per liter, ₱52-₱81.70 per liter of diesel and ₱74.04-₱84.04 per liter of kerosene according to data from the Department of Energy.

“The Marcos Jr. regime remains incompetent to stop the reign of the “Big Three” oil companies in the country,” Piston said. It said Shell, Caltex, and Petron continue to impose oil prices hikes in the face of soaring commodity prices.

“They continue to dominate the market and reap huge profits annually due to the Oil Deregulation Law,” the group said. The law was implemented 26 years ago and allows the private companies, which control 43% of the industry, to amass profits.

Piston condemned the cartels for their “usual pretext that weekly oil price increases are due to the Middle East conflicts and tensions between Russia and Ukraine.” It said the Marcos regime is actively conspiring with these companies, which continues to burden the hungry and suffering people with the additional VAT and excise tax on petroleum products.

The group added, “as poverty and unemployment worsen in the country…, the anti-people effects of imperialist globalization become more pronounced.”

The rising price of gasoline is among the issues that drivers and operators will bring up in the upcoming third State of the Nation Address by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They encouraged fellow drivers and operators, and even commuters to launch militant actions, especially during the upcoming SONA to demand public control over the country’s oil industry.