Solon seeks more fuel price cut

BAGUIO City Representative Marquez Go is set to dialogue with petroleum dealers in the city this week to ask them to further reduce the present cost of

petroleum products.

The move by the congressional legislator is based on the continuing price disparity between Baguio City and in Poro Point in La Union Province.

“I have instructed my chief of staff to set a meeting separately with the dealers of Shell and Petron to ask them to lower the cost of the petroleum products in the city. Although the increase of fuel products in the city is not a result of the widening disparity between Baguio and La Union but is a result of world crude or petroleum worldwide which is more than $80 per barrel,” Go explained.

Earlier , Go welcomed the move of Shell on May 31 after it agreed to reduce the fuel prices which was down by P2.00 for diesel and P6.00 for gasoline.

The lawmaker however stated this was still not enough to cover the disparity between La Union and Baguio City.

"Despite these decreases, it is still not enough because the difference is still P5.00P6.00 in gasoline and what we want a difference of P1.50 and P1.00. This is the reason why after the investigations, we filed a bill in congress empowering the Department of Energy to set the price ceiling on the increase in prices for us to avoid this disparity in the price of fuel," said the solon.

In the explanation given by the DoE during their 'E-Power Mo' caravan in Baguio, it stated the disparity in fuel price between Poro point in La Union with that of Baguio City is based on the P25 international price import content, P7 excise tax, P6 value added tax all amounting to P38 while the remaining P22 is identified as the industry take.

“But not withstanding that, we still see a disparity. Last time, we were able to convince them to reduce their prices of petroleum and we are hoping they heed to our call for them to reduce it again,” Go added.