28/03/2026
๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ง๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ค๐. ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ.
Before you blame the war, read this first. Because the real problem is closer to home than Tehran.
๐: ๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐. ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐?
A: That reserve was purchased before the war started. At mas mababang presyo. But here is what the oil companies are not telling you. They are not pricing that old stock at what they paid for it. They are charging you based on TODAY'S international crude price, which is hovering near $100 per barrel. You are literally paying for oil they have not even bought yet, using money from your pocket today.
๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฒ๐จ๐ง? ๐๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ข๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ข?
A: Yes. Legal. And that is exactly the problem. Under Republic Act 8479, the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998, oil companies have full authority to set pump prices based on current international market rates. The government cannot cap it. Cannot control it. Cannot stop it. That law is 28 years old. It was written for a completely different world, long before anyone imagined a single war could knock out global oil supply overnight.
๐: ๐๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฒ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ?
A: In plain terms, yes. It is called inventory windfall profit. They are sitting on old stock purchased at lower prices, but selling it as if it just arrived from a war zone. The gap between their actual cost and your pump price goes straight to their bottom line. And you are funding it every time you fill up.
๐: ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
A: Congress needs to move on this. At minimum, four amendments should be on the table right now.
First, a weighted average pricing rule during any declared national emergency. If your existing stock was bought at $60 per barrel, you cannot sell it at $100 per barrel prices. Simple math. Simple justice.
Second, mandatory public disclosure of actual inventory acquisition cost versus pump price during any crisis. Kung kumikita ka sa gitna ng emergency, the public has the right to know exactly how much.
Third, cost-plus pricing for all government-procured emergency reserves. Those should never be sold at full market price when a national emergency is already in effect.
Fourth, an automatic price rollback trigger the moment any president declares a national energy emergency. No debate. No delays. Automatic.
๐: ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ฌ ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ?
A: Because RA 8479 has powerful backers. Every serious attempt to amend it has died quietly in committee. The oil industry has lobbied hard to keep deregulation intact, and Congress has allowed it. The energy emergency declaration gives Marcos authority to procure and distribute fuel faster, but it still does not touch what oil companies charge at the pump. That part of the law remains untouched, and they know it.
๐: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ?
A: Message your congressman. Not tomorrow. Today. Ask them directly where they stand on amending RA 8479. The transport sector is already planning a strike. Consumer groups are organizing. The pressure is building. Ang tanong lang ay kung sino sa Kongreso ang matapang na tumayo para sa Pilipino, at hindi para sa oil industry.
Here is the bottom line. We are paying war prices for pre-war oil. The government declared a national emergency but cannot control what you pay at the pump. That is not deregulation working as intended. That is a 28-year-old law protecting corporate margins while ordinary Filipinos bleed at the gas station.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐๐จ. ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ญ๐จ.
Dapat baguhin na. Ngayon.
