By Tracy Cabrera
Deputy House Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza. (Photo from the Visayan Daily Star)
MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that the government remains “in control” of the ongoing fuel crisis, rejecting calls to declare a national emergency or take over the operations of oil companies.
Despite recent double-digit increases in fuel prices, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Clarissa “Claire” Castro-Seechung said the administration has acted promptly and continues to engage the oil industry through policy measures rather than emergency powers.
“Sa ngayon po ay wala pa po tayo sa ganoong sitwasyon,” Castro-Seechung stressed, adding that officials remain capable of addressing the crisis without extraordinary interventions.
However, labor groups and some lawmakers argue that the government’s response came only after mounting public pressure, leaving Filipino households burdened by the rising cost of fuel and a Philippine peso approaching ₱60 to the US dollar.
Deputy House Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza, representing the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, called for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to declare a state of national emergency under Republic Act No. 8479, also known as the Oil Deregulation Law. Mendoza said the law allows the Department of Energy (DoE) to temporarily direct or take over oil industry operations during national emergencies to protect public welfare.
“Global conflicts affecting oil supply have already triggered domestic consequences severe enough to warrant extraordinary intervention,” Mendoza said. “When a crisis thousands of kilometers away determines how much a Filipino family spends on daily needs, it is no longer just a global issue—it is a national concern.”
Mendoza added that invoking emergency powers would require oil companies to disclose their inventories and acquisition costs, promoting transparency and potentially curbing excessive price hikes. Under the current system, pump prices are set based on global crude rates, foreign exchange fluctuations, and logistics costs, limiting government intervention to subsidies, tax adjustments, and regulatory oversight.
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