‘Offer good while supplies last’

Filipinos have been so distracted by the Zarzuela de Batasan that many have not had a chance to reflect on or consider what the latest series of fuel price increases will do to them.

For nearly three weeks in a row, diesel has gone up by almost P5 per liter. When you consider that diesel is the lifeblood of industries in the Philippines and affects every Filipino’s daily life, why is the government not reacting or responding to the potential negative impact of such a price increase? We don’t want to panic the public, but you also don’t want an angry mob adding to your already diminishing popularity by responding too late.

No one from government has even come up with advisories on fuel conservation, planning trips or giving a heads-up on what consumer products or sectors would be directly affected by the increase. The last time such a major price increase piled up, no less than the Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez spoke out and said that action was necessary. Unfortunately, that’s all we heard and saw – nothing done.

Many sectors called out the Finance Department to suspend the fuel tax until prices went down but the DOF, Congress and Malacañang simply opted to use their “teka-teka” or wait&wait strategy. True enough, the teka-teka tactic worked because as Christmas and the holidays approached, fuel prices once again dropped to tolerable levels.

That lowering of prices though, seemed strange, given that there is greater demand for fuel during December-January to March because of winter. And the recent surge in prices this February indicate that the “offer was only good while supplies last” or maybe once people were done with Christmas in the Philippines.

Based on news abroad, the demand for oil/fuel will surely continue to rise and people living abroad have been telling stories about major cutbacks on their use of vehicles, reduced air travels and increased use of bicycles and motorcycles. So, what is the Marcos Jr. administration doing about the situation in the Philippines? Will it be another round of teka-teka? Will the PBBM management be more proactive in public information or will the Bagong Pilipinas roll out “Mga Bagong Bisikleta?”

I don’t mean to be an alarmist but at the very least Filipinos deserve to get the right information, analysis and projection about how the continued fuel price increases will directly affect each and every one. We Filipinos are creative and great at finding ways to deal with challenges: “Ma abilidad at ma paraan,” but we need to have the “dahilan” or the reason.

Consider for instance how short-lived the government’s communications was regarding El Niño. For something that is supposed to be a major concern for PBBM, the topic is barely discussed or raised by government officials. It feels like water conservation, energy conservation or fuel conservation are unpopular topics in the Marcos Jr. administration.

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Some of the images that keep popping up on social media are videos of electric scooters, e-trikes and bicycles on EDSA. Another item that has caught the attention of the general public are so many cars driving around with “17” plates. But unlike the VIP plates of congressmen and senators that are attached to luxury SUVs with security back-ups and HPG escorts, many of the cars bearing the plate number “17” are not luxury vehicles. The plates indicated “government” but no distinguishing mark between one from another “17.”

As more and more cars were spotted with the “17” plate, people started asking if it was possible that some if not many of those plates were fake or, as someone said, could be bought online! A quick check with people at the LTO revealed that the “17” plates are issued to “prosecutors” or those court personnel previously known as fiscals.

So why is the LTO issuing a special plate that does not indicate what court or city where the fiscal/prosecutor belongs? Why is the LTO using their limited funds to make hundreds if not thousands of special “17” plates for private vehicles that already have plates to begin with? What special reason is there to produce and issue special plates to prosecutors to the point that the numbers have caught the attention of the driving public? This is an unnecessary expense and a form of special treatment that prosecutors themselves should not be part of.

If the LTO leadership and the DOTr really want to get ahead of the ball game, they should find champions in both Congress and the Senate to pass legislation or for Malacañang to issue an Executive Order that  will allow the Land Transportation Office to spend part of its estimated P3-billion-plus annual earnings to fund procurement and hiring of desperately needed personnel.

For starters, we can all complain and bitch but if the LTO is not allowed to hire the correct number of law enforcement personnel, vehicles and equipment such as breath alcohol level analyzer, mobile gross weight scale and portable air pollution testing equipment, we cannot demand or expect the LTO law enforcement teams to do their job.

The DOTr and the DILG should sit down together and find a way for all local government units to provide an area for the construction of LTO regional/district offices and not have to rely on private “investors” who take in rent from LTO as a captured tenant. Better for LGUs to earn from the LTO than private investors.

Last but not least, can Congress and the Senate please investigate the corporately “adulterous” scenario at the LTO concerning their digital services and competing providers represented by “consultants” of one versus the other! Tama na – sobra na!