Case vs 3 oil companies Capitol wants hearing held in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Government will be asking the Department of Justice and the Department of Energy to hold the hearings on the case it filed against the three big oil companies in Cebu instead of Manila.

This as provincial attorney Marino Martinquilla confirmed yesterday that the joint DOJ and DOE task force on oil deregulation rejected the motion filed by Chevron that asks Capitol and Cebu business leaders to identify the areas in the country where there are alleged disparity on petroleum prices.

In addition, the legal counsels of the “Big Three” have asked for a five-day extension to file their counter-affidavits to the criminal complaint for alleged violation of the Oil Deregulation Act filed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The DOJ has issued separate subpoenas to both parties to appear at the office of the Energy Undersecretary Roy Kyamco for a preliminary investigation last Thursday afternoon.

Martinquilla said all business leaders in Cebu were present during the preliminary hearing. However, Garcia failed to attend it because she was on an official business trip in Dubai.

On Mnday, Martinquilla said that they would file a motion seeking to change the venue of the hearing from Manila to Cebu, adding “Cebuanos should witness the proceedings.”

Garcia sued Shell, Petron and Chevron Corp. for alleged violation of Section 11 of R.A. 8479 or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998. The law penalizes cartelization and predatory pricing of petroleum products.

Garcia filed her complaint before the joint DOJ and DOE task force on oil deregulation, which is co-chaired by Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar.

The complaint was also signed by Samuel Chioson, president of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Efrain Pelaez Jr., president of the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Eric Mendoza, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jay Yuvallos, president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport)-Cebu; and Filomeno Lim, president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce-Cebu.

As of May 15, a survey conducted by the CCCI revealed that diesel in Cebu gas stations cost P31.50 per liter, which is P5.75 higher than diesel being sold in Manila which is at P25.75 per liter only. — Johanna T. Natavio/WAB  (THE FREEMAN)