Urban poor group irate over another OPH to start off 2012

PRESS RELEASE l 03 JANUARY 2012
KALIPUNAN NG DAMAYANG MAHIHIRAP
Militant Center of Urban Poor in the Philippines

QUEZON CITY, Philippines--Militant urban poor alliance Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) warns the Aquino administration of the possible backlash of yet another oil price hike on the third day of the new year.

Today, Pilipinas Shell is increasing the prices of unleaded gas by 90 centavos per liter, regular gas by 60 centavos, diesel by 30 centavos, and kerosene by 20 centavos. Officials said the increases reflected the movement of prices of oil in the international market.

Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary-general says the government should consider the new OPH as a 'bad omen' for the Aquino administration during a very early period of a tumultuous year characterized by harsher effects of the global economic crisis.

"Aquino should be wary that the past EDSA revolutions did spark on the first quarter of the year, when the people are more optimistic of the long year ahead," Arellano says.

"It is not a good thing to allow an oil price in this period of the year, no matter how surveys reveal that Aquino's popularity coupled with Filipino optimism is at a relatively high point," she adds.

Arellano also claims that the people is really starting to doubt on the government's measures of addressing the OPH and overpricing schemes of the giant oil cartel, that Aquino has promised last year.

According to the group, today's increase on oil prices is only a precedent of uncontrollable hikes on prices of petroleum products and of basic commodities to characterize the entire 2012.

"Sooner or later, the price hikes shall take its toll on the impoverished populace, and on the Aquino administration," Arellano says.

Kadamay says 'the Aquino administration will surely be at a very vulnerable position as long as deregulation policy remains its only means of addressing the oil price problem in the country.'

The group also vows to continue its battle against the Oil Deregulation Law and the giant oil cartel that they refer to as 'among the biggest culprits that exacerbate urban poverty that plagues some 30 million Filipinos in the country's urban centers.' ###

Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary general (0921.392.7457)