Militants hit Aquino for new rounds of oil price hikes

Thursday, January 19, 2012

VARIOUS militant groups hit President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and his administration for the impending rounds of oil price increases this year. 

Around 70 members from the Transport of Mindanao for Solidarity, Independence, and Nationalism (Transmision) Piston, Kadamay, Samahan ng Maralitang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa (Samakana), and Anak Bayan, on Tuesday staged their protest at San Pedro Street in Davao City to air their grievance. 

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Sheena Duazo, Kadamay secretary-general, expressed her disappointment on the Aquino administration as its economic policies favors big foreign capitalist that builds up huge profit for them. 

Duazo said the government has exerted no effort to address the demands of the urban poor against demolitions and their call to repeal anti-people laws like the oil deregulation law. 

Edil Gonzaga, Transmision-Piston secretary-general, said the oil price increases is a big burden to them, while oil companies stand to profit at their expense. 

Gonzaga said the Department of Energy already announced that per liter price of gasoline will increase at P1.75 and diesel at P1.30 this week because of the continuous price increase in the world market. 

Gonzaga added that the president must know that most of the drivers in the city can no longer bear the brunt of continuous oil price increase which is now eating up their daily income, thus the reason of their protest. 

Gonzaga said despite the oil price increase, they have no plan to seek a fare rate increase.  

In another concern, the group also hit the Davao City Water District (DCWD) for the 10-percent water rate increase effective on February. 

"What would be the life of the urban poor, if the rate of our common needs would also increase? The DCWD is with the government... if they will continue that, then I guess this year wouldn?t be good enough for everybody especially the urban poor," Duazo said in vernacular. 

Duazo said all they need is for the government to understand the situation of the people, and provide concrete actions for a tangible solution to the plight of the poverty-stricken population. 

"This is just the beginning of our protest. There will be more protest this year, if the Aquino administration will continue with how it is doing and ignore the needs of the people especially the urban poor," Gonzaga said in vernacular.