Party-list 1-Utak insists it’s not in cahoots with ‘Big 3’ oil firms

Party-list United Transport Koalisyon or 1-Utak has vehemently denied the accusation of jeepney group Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng Transport at Operator Nationwide (Piston) that it is in cahoots with the so-called “Big Three” oil firms reason why it has not done anything for the benefit of drivers, operators and passengers of public utility vehicles.

1-Utak secretary general Bren Sayasa II said there was no truth to the statements made by Piston’s George San Mateo. Sayasa pointed out since the party-list became a part of Congress, it has filed numerous House bills and resolutions that would benefit the transport sector.

These include proposals for the implementation of a fair pricing scheme of petroleum products, recommendation to amend the Downstream Oil Deregulation Act of 1998 and Executive Order 839, and conduct a review of the price formulation strategy of oil firms. The EO was imposed by President Arroyo after typhoon “Ondoy” hit the country.

Sayasa said if they were in connivance with Petron, Caltex and Shell, they would not be pushing a law that would affect the business of the oil firms. In fact, they even wrote to officials of the Independent Petroleum Companies Association asking them to support their proposal to limit the number of fuel pump stations in the country to avoid further dominance by the big oil companies.

A portion of the party-list’s letter shows the following recommendations: “Oil companies who have more than a certain number of service stations nationwide will not be allowed to expand their retail business by setting up additional stations, for a specific period of time also oil companies will not be allowed to buy fuel from each other, or from affiliate, subsidiary or related companies, unless it can be shown that the locally supplied fuel is much cheaper than the imported ones.”

“How can they say that we are in connivance with oil firms when we are doing our best to create a level playing field in the sale of petroleum products to protect small oil industry players as well,” Sayasa said.

Apart from the resolutions filed in Congress, 1-Utak also pushed the implementation of a Single Ticketing System. Other projects Sayasa said include a housing program, livelihood projects and the 6Ks (Katarungan, Karunungan, Kabuhayan, Kalusugan, Kalikasan and Kapitbahayan) for the transport sector, including commuters.  –Daily Tribune