Led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Panay, national-democratic groups in Iloilo City picketed on July 22 to denounce the new series of oil price hikes. Greedy oil companies imposed a ₱0.40/liter increase in gasoline, ₱1.10/liter in diesel, and ₱0.70/liter in kerosene that day.
Flying V, Petron Corp., Seaoil Philippines Corp., and Shell Pilipinas Corp. implemented these increases. Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz Ventures Philippines Corp., and PTT Philippines Corp. implemented similar increases for gasoline and diesel products.
After the price hike, the net increase since January 2025 reached ₱9.40/liter for gasoline, ₱12.45/liter for diesel, and ₱2.55/liter for kerosene.
According to Bayan-Panay, as of July 21, before the increase, gasoline prices in Iloilo City had already reached ₱54.7/liter, diesel ranged from ₱54.7-56.69, and the average price for kerosene in the city was ₱78.65/liter.
For the group, the oil price hikes are unjust and aim only to further extort from the already struggling people. “These increases are not based on an actual shortage in global supply,” Bayan-Panay secretary general Elmer Forro said.
He said that these increases are speculative, driven by corporations’ desire for profit and allowed by the Marcos regime’s government and agencies laws. Forro added that the Oil Deregulation Law of 1998, which removed the government’s power to control oil prices and gave local and foreign oil cartels full power to set prices, should have long been repealed.
Forro explained that, aside from the deregulation law, other laws also impose even heavier taxes on products like oil. Among these are the TRAIN Law of the previous Duterte regime and the 12% Value Added Tax (VAT).
He further stated, “This double-whammy ensures that even when global prices drop, pump prices remain artificially high because of fixed government-imposed taxes.”
Forro called for the repeal of these taxes, urged that greedy oil companies be held to account, and demanded that the government be made responsible for price deregulation. “Enough is enough! Filipino consumers should not continue to bear the burden of speculative oil pricing and predatory taxation,” he said.
The protest by Bayan-Panay in Iloilo City is also linked with their preparations for a larger demonstration on July 28, the day of Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s fourth state of the nation address. The anti-SONA or people’s SONA protest aims to expose the oppressive, corrupt, puppet, and fascist Marcos regime. Bayan will launch actions in various parts of the country.
