An Appeal to Arroyo: DECLARE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND TAKEOVER THESE OIL FIRMS

Dear Madame Arroyo:

This is just my fifth letter to you and the first four letters, I was greatly satisfied. You, through your spokespersons, responded positively to my appeals in this site. For that, I am greatly humbled.

Now, I have just one request and proposal about this so-called OIL SHORTAGE BOGEY that these OIL companies together with their local government LACKEYS and PUBLIC SUPPORTERS want us to believe.

First, time to ask Energy secretary Angelo Reyes to retire. He's causing so much panic and fear for and on behalf of these giant oil companies that it is time for Reyes to leave public service. What he's doing is public DISSERVICE. Best for him to just sit at the board of one of these oil giants.

Second, if you can't ask for his head, ask him to take DRASTIC ACTION. Ask him to use his brain and brawn as a former GENERAL and tell these oil firms to TOE THE LINE or else. Mobilize him immediately and tell him to TAKEOVER ALL THESE OIL FIRMS.

Third, make everything legal by DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY and TAKEOVER ALL THESE OIL FIRMS. They cannot do anything about it because it is TOTALLY CONSTITUTIONAL.

What is the prime duty of the Government? Let me quote Sec. 4, Article II of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines which states that the primary duty of the Government, " is to serve and protect the People." What else? Under Sec. 5, it is

"the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty AND PROPERTY and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy."

Right now, the people are being threatened by HIGH PRICES which UNDER A STATE OF NATIONAL CALAMITY and ECONOMIC CRISIS, we, the People cannot really cope with. I, myself, am financially distressed because of these high prices. Last night, in fact, some gas stations refused to sell diesel to me.

High prices are caused by excessive MONOPOLISTIC ACTIONS of private companies and enterprises. One of those which acts like a MONOPOLY is the OIL GIANTS, led by PETRON, SHELL and CALTEX.

Monopoly is prohibited under Sec. 19 of Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, which states, and I quote:

" The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. No combinatins in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed."

Under Sec. 17, of Article XII, the state is empowered to act accordingly and takeover enterprises under a state of national emergency. Let me state it clearly:

In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest.

Section 18, of the same Article, it states:

 "in the interest of national welfare or defense, establish and operate vital industries, and upon payment of just compensation, transfer to public ownership utilities and other private enterprises to be operated by Government."

Act with dispatch Madame President.

If these oil companies threaten us and are creating this OIL SUPPLY SHORTAGE BOGEY, let GOVERNMENT take over. If these companies are hoping that you'll back down, DO NOT.

This is now, a matter of grave security concern. This is a direct test of the powers of the government, particularly the Executive. If you back down on this, people will start believing that you are a LAME DUCK President already---not good for your public image and definitely, not helpful if you want to run as Congressman or Vice President.

Think about it. These oil firms are causing DESTABILIZATION. Time to cut their horns.

Ka-Oil-lulan! Govt should import oil instead of these oil companies

These giant oil companies should be charged, their executives hauled to jail and their operations seized by government. They think that the Filipinos are easily fooled by their PR machinery. They think that getting the headlines of the Philippine Daily Inquirer would be enough pressure for this government to back down on the fight.

And I pity the PDI for allowing themselves to be used as the main speaking platform of these oil companies. How many millions of pesos worth of advertising space did these oil giants pay you, Mr. Inquirer? I thought the PDI sides with the people? IMagine, instead of releasing Santiago's report on the monumental corruption on the Road User's Tax (which I think deserves the headline), the PDI instead bannered or headlined the alleged "only two weeks supply" of the oil firms.

Crap. Bull. Katarantaduhan!

E.O. 839 is one of those singular acts of Mrs. Arroyo that deserves praise. Curiously though, Mrs. Arroyo allows her Energy secretary Angelo Reyes to play footsie and acts as the oil industry's main spokesperson and poster boy. It seems that government is playing both sides---Reyes, mouthing platitudes and portraying the role of the doomsday boy, while Justice secretary Agnes Devenadera leading the charge for the oil companies' prosecution. Who really speaks for and on behalf of Mrs. Arroyo?

Oil companies have been using the Inquirer to scare us and make us believe that there would be a shortage. These companies claim that their supplies will only last two weeks. And they position themselves as the only ones who can import oil products.

Under the Constitution and our laws, government can very well seize the assets of these oil firms and do the importing of oil products themselves. And I dare Malacanang to do such a thing. Let's put a stop to the "ka oil lulan" (kaululan) of these oil giants and "small" players who form this cartel, smash them to smithereens, and let government do its primary job of protecting the interests of the Filipino People.

Who will believe that these oil giants are "hurting" and "losing money"? EO 839 is just two weeks old. Imagine, oil companies claim they already lost 18 billion pesos worth of income. Yun naman pala. The truth is, they earn 18 billion pesos for just a week of operation.

If these companies would not import oil for fears of losing more money, let government seize all their assets, especially their refineries under the name of the State and let the People support them. Mrs. Arroyo can designate an energy czar or czarina or be the czarina herself and run the entire oil industry. Mrs. Arroyo can very well do this because we are still under a state of calamity.

Likewise, jail this LPGMA head who violated the EO by allowing his members to raise LPG prices by as much as 30 pesos. He deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail for violating not just our laws but making a mockery out of our government.

Who do these oil players and LPG dealers think they are, more powerful than the State?

This tug of war between Malacanang and the oil players is a test of Executive Power. It is also a power struggle between unscrupulous members of Private Enterprise and the State. Who wins in the end is a matter of Leadership. Mrs. Arroyo should show her mettle in this. And she deserves the People's support.

Mantika politics

Two things that people here in the Philippines are very concerned about---the rising prices of basic commodities and the increasing number of firms closing due to the recession. Prices of rice, chicken, beef and canned goods have risen to astronomically ridiculous heights. Gasoline prices, which some experts including Consumer Oil Price Watch head Raul Concepcion said were overpriced by 8 pesos, are spiralling out of control. What happened to the Senate probe? What happened to calls for these big oil companies to open their books? Nada. Our leaders are really a useless lot.

What's worst---government admits that vegetable and meat dealers are raking huge profits with these price hikes---and they're not doing anything. DZMM interviewed Department of Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap this morning and he admitted that, indeed, suppliers and sellers in the markets are making a killing. DA is not doing anything about it and surely, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is likewise,inutile.

There are, however, some doubts expressed by some people, suspicion even. They say that prices of goods were artificially raised now so that come the SONA, prices will again "normalize". Mrs. Arroyo would then be able to say that job accomplished. Kumbaga, lulutuin muna tayo ng pamahalaan sa matataas na presyo ng mga bilihin ngayon para pagdating ng Hulyo 27, uutusan ng pangulo ang DTI na pipiliting maibaba ang mga presyong ito para maging accomplishment ng administrasyon. Galing ano?