MANILA: Gas station managers and personnel found to be withholding their supply may be arrested, the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned amid looming oil price increases driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Our intelligence units are monitoring warehouses for possible hoarding and other similar illegal activities,” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr said in a statement on Monday.
“We will arrest anyone caught illegally withholding supply to spike prices,” he added.
The top cop particularly said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Maritime Group and the Highway Patrol Group particularly were tasked to monitor possible hoarding activities.
He added that the law enforcement agency has begun coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry and local government units to check whether sellers in their respective areas of responsibility were complying with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) directives.
“[The PNP] will establish coordination protocol with the DOE in terms of monitoring oil prices and responding to complaints that will be coursed through the Energy department from motorists in relation to unfair and unreasonable pricing, especially in the provinces,” Nartatez noted.
Tensions in the Middle East escalated late last February after the United States and Israel launched missile attacks against Iran, targeting key military facilities and killing their supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran hit back with strikes targeting Israel and US bases in the Middle East and by claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil trade.
Given this development, diesel and gasoline prices are expected to rise this week by nearly P20 and P10, respectively.
Although local fuel retailers traditionally announce their price adjustments on Mondays and implement them on Tuesdays, some motorists have reported that several stations raised prices ahead of schedule.
This prompted the Department of Energy to issue a warning against premature increases, tapping the PNP to help monitor pump prices. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
