Motorists, including the riding public, stood as one to denounce the exorbitant fuel prices pegged by gasoline dealers operating in Tagbilaran City which naturally also triggered the high fuel prices in the towns except for few where a “price war” brought down the prices.

The haul of protest and criticism was registered during yesterday’s radio survey conducted by top-rated “Inyong Alagad” program of dyRD.

The public questioned anew the higher fuel prices in the city as compared to the prices in the various municipalities.     Significantly compared to the fuel prices in the city were the prices in Ubay town, cheaper by P1.20 per liter for diesel , P1.95 per liter for unleaded and P0.65 for kerosene.

Well meaning residents said that there was no other significant reason why fuel prices in the city are higher except for “greed for profit” on the part of the city gasoline station owners.

“What logic could explain the prices at the source of the fuel are more expensive than those in places where transport cost has to be added”,” a radio respondent asked.

He said that if Ubay gas dealers can sell fuel prices lower by P1.20 per liter, then there is no reason why the city based gas station dealers can not lower their prices to the same level and yet get a profit.

The prices in city gas stations are: P31.96 for diesel, P39.65 for unleaded and P39.65 for kerosene as compared to Ubay’s P30.75 for diesel, P38.70 for unleaded and P 39.00 for kerosene.

Motorists also noted that among the city based gas stations, Caltex was selling the most expensive kerosene at P43.50/liter, Unleaded,P39.85/liter and diesel,P32.05/liter as compared to Petron prices pegged at P39.65/liter for kerosene, P39.65/liter for unleaded and P31.95/liter for diesel.   Among city based gasoline stations, Shell was selling the cheapest diesel at P31.90/liter.

Another round of hefty oil price hike hits motorists yesterday at P1.40 per liter for both gasoline and diesel.

The price movement since yesterday is a bit lower than the previous P1.50 per liter for gasoline and P1.20 per liter for diesel on November 29.

Yesterday’s oil price hike came as surprise as the Philippine peso slightly improved at P49.77 against US dollar compared to the December 12 rate at P49.82.

The recent trend of oil price increases marked at alarming rate of above P1 per liter for both gasoline and diesel- -the two on top of the demand in the market.

This came as the city still struggles to settle the earnings of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers that has been blamed for abuses against commuters.

The November 29 increase was attributed to the “depreciation of the peso against the dollar”, considering that “the global market had been relatively stable in the previous week”.

The oil price movement yesterday also included an increase by P1.45 per liter for kerosene.

The three giant oil companies- -Caltex, Petron, Shell- -delayed the implementation of the pump price increase at 6 a.m. yesterday.

In other areas of the country where smaller companies have pumping stations, other smaller companies such as Seaoil, Eastern Petroleum, Jetti, and Phoenix Petroleum also implemented the increase starting 6 a.m. yesterday.

Unioil was the last to implement the increase at 6:01 p.m., while Flying V came first at 12:01 a.m.

Local policy-makers in the province are closely monitoring oil companies that could bring better offer for Bohol consumers.

High fuel prices have been among the top concerns besetting the province.

However, small players in the downstream petroleum industry could barely come in.

Aside from the three giant companies, only France-backed Total Philippines- -another big-time industry player – -has gained grounds in Bohol.

Retail outlets of big companies have sprouted one by one fast in the last few years, especially in the city.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently fine-tuning the draft department circular entitled “Promulgating a Revised Rules and Regulations Governing the Business of Retailing Liquid Fuels” for the implementation of Republic Act 8479 or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.

The draft department circular includes provisions on non-issuance, non-renewal, revocation or suspension of Certificate of Compliance of retail outlets.

The grounds include refusal to allow inspection by Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) or the field offices; failure to present required records during inspection, or upon order by the OIMB such as calibration record, record of product deliveries to the retail outlet showing the supplier, product details and date; submission of falsified documents; failure to pay fines imposed by DOE; commission of the same prohibited act for at least a second time; or failure to comply with circulars and administrative issuances promulgated by the DOE.

It is also proposed that “in situations where an LGU shall require a Certificate of Compliance as a prerequisite to a mayor’s permit or business permit, a provisional Authority to Operate or Certification may be issued to a new retail outlet solely for that purpose of obtaining the mayor’s or business permit”. This is provided that an authenticated copy of the mayor’s or business permit is submitted to the OIMB or its field offices within 30 days from issuance of the provisional authority to operate or certification. Failure to do so will render such provisional authority or certification automatically revoked and the retail outlet shall immediately cease to operate.