January 10, 2008

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said that it will be preparing protest actions coinciding with the government’s Energy Summit on January 29 as a way of presenting an alternative agenda in addressing the oil crisis.

“Protest actions are being readied. It is important that the people demands against high oil prices be heard. The oil crisis needs a collective response from our people,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“From the recent move of the government in reducing oil tariffs, we can get a good idea of what the energy summit is all about. It’s all about giving token responses to a serious crisis that is fast reaching a boiling point. The people are growing impatient over the inability of government to address the issue in a substantial way,” Reyes said.

The groups said that it is also outlining a list of proposals that it plans to present to lawmakers and other interested groups who are concerned with the rising prices of petroleum products.

“We will not just criticize the summit. We will also give alternatives. We will also give our people and our lawmakers some concrete proposals to consider. We’re now busy with consultations with various groups concerning different proposals,” Reyes said.

Bayan has pledged its support for senators and congressmen who are pushing for the suspension or scrapping of the Value Added Tax on oil products.

Apart from this measure, Bayan is also pushing for the renationalization of oil company Petron, the centralized procurement of oil imports, the regulation of oil prices involving public hearings and alternative transactions in exchange for oil.

“We are discussing these proposals as part medium term to long term alternatives to the failed oil deregulation law,” Reyes said.

Several House Bills have been filed before the House of Representatives on these alternative measures. Bayan also hopes to drum up support for these pending bills.