TINIO QUESTIONS OIL PRICE HIKES, CITES DOE DATA

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has accused local oil companies of systematically overcharging Filipino consumers, citing Department of Energy (DOE) monitoring reports from October 2025 to March 2026.

His analysis showed domestic fuel price adjustments consistently exceeded what global benchmark movements and foreign exchange rates would justify, with consumers overcharged by an average of P1.34 per liter for gasoline, P1.90 for diesel, and P1.79 for kerosene.

Tinio highlighted a March 31 spike where domestic gasoline prices rose P2.90 per liter despite a $7-per-barrel drop in world prices, creating a P5.55-per-liter discrepancy.

He also criticized gaps in DOE reporting during the US-Israel-Iran conflict and the asymmetric use of “replacement cost” accounting that delayed price reductions.

Tinio called for regulatory reforms, including mandatory DOE transparency, margin reporting, and automatic pass-through of world price drops to protect consumers.

Source: PhilNews24 | April 10, 2026