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Drivers’ group asks government to take over operations of ‘Big 3’

10/23/2009

The nationwide jeepney drivers’ organization Pinagkaisang Sangguniang Manila and Suburbs Drivers’ Association, or Pasang Masda, yesterday urged the national government to take over the operation of the “Big 3” oil companies (Petron, Shell and Chevron) to arrest the non-stop increase in oil prices in the face of successive and ongoing calamities hitting the country.

Ferdinand Topacio, Pasang Masda legal counsel, said Section 17 of Article XII of the Constitution the government is empowered to temporarily take over the operations of any private company whose activities are effected with public interest during national emergencies.

“If the continuous flooding, spread of diseases, scarcity of basic commodities and coming abnormal weather disturbances are not constitutive of a national emergency, we do not know what is,” Topacio said.

Topacio added the oil companies have shown “unbelievable insensitivity” to the plight of the people by imposing two substantial price increases in a span of one week which, he said, “rubs salt in the wounds of our countrymen and shows that the oil companies worship the god of money and profits to the exclusion of everything else, even fundamental decency and love of country.”

“Yaong mga jeepney drivers pa, na isang kahig isang tuka, ang may pagmamahal sa bayan sapagka’t kami sa Pasang Masda ay pinagpaliban na ang paghiling ng fare increase bilang tulong sa ating mga kababayan, sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng diesel bilang tulong sa ating mga kababayan. Ang mga nagpapatakbo ng malalaking kumpanya ng langis ay mga walang puso sapagka’t bagamat sila’y nakahiga na sa salapi, patuloy pa rin ang panggigipit sa taong-bayan,” (The jeepney drivers, who live a hand-to-mouth existence, have shown greater love of country because we at the Pasang Masda have deferred our request for a fare hike in the face of continuous increases in diesel prices to help our countrymen. Those who run our big oil companies, who are wallowing in cash, are heartless because they continue to make our people suffer) Topacio said.

He added the Department of Energy is “useless in curbing runaway petroleum prices, as its head is a mere rubber stamp of the Big 3. If government is really serious in alleviating the suffering of our people, then it should use its emergency powers and temporarily take over the operations of the oil companies so that the rampant overpricing will stop. This will prove to be the best thing that the government can do in these calamitous times.”