Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Department of Energy has sought the help of the Philippine Competition Commission to look into possible &quot;anti-competitive behavior&quot; of oil companies in the country amid surging fuel prices brought about by the Middle East conflict triggered by US-Israel strikes on Iran. Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo earlier criticized the supposed “cartelized behavior” of major oil companies, saying the similar price adjustments every week opposes the intent of the Oil Deregulation Law. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said they have sent a letter to the commission to check allegations of &quot;cartelization&quot; and profiteering.“So far naman these are all under investigation or under observation para lang po mabantayan nang maigi. I am not saying that there are parties that are guilty of it pero maganda na po iyan na mayroon tayong bantay,” she said in a Palace press briefing Friday, April 10.The Philippines deregulated the oil industry in the 1990s and relies on competition and market forces to keep prices stable. The DOE monitors price movements for &quot;overpricing&quot;.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/10/tinio-flags-71-6-fuel-price-surge-in-ph-2139">Tinio flags 71.6% gas price surge in PH, among greatest globally</a></div>“Nandiyan iyong DOE, nandiyan iyong PCC, nandiyan po iyong ating mga enforcement agencies to make sure that this does not happen,” she added. The energy chief also welcomed any review of their system, noting that there is room for improvement.She said people have observed similarities among oil companies “when they increase but also how much they increase,” Garin said. In a statement, Mamamayang Liberal Party-List Rep. Leila De Lima said &quot;we are realizing that our current oil deregulation policy is not an ideal policy&quot; as she urged review of the Oil Deregulation Law.“We are in a situation where consumers are paying today&#x27;s high prices for yesterday&#x27;s cheaper fuel. It is a disservice if the government has no clear mechanism to ensure fairness,&quot; she said.Garin said the DOE and law enforcement agencies are monitoring oil companies and gas stations to prevent incidents of hoarding and profiteering, adding that they now have ‘additional power’ with the emergency powers.  <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/10/doe-assures-public-of-enough-lpg-supply-2114">DOE assures public of enough LPG supply</a></div>So far, the agency has received around a thousand reports through the e-gov portal and has issued less than a hundred show-cause orders, according to Garin.She said local government units and the police are gathering evidence for potential cases.

The Department of Energy has sought the help of the Philippine Competition Commission to look into possible ‘anti-competitive behavior’ of oil companies in the country amid surging fuel prices brought about by the Middle East conflict triggered by US-Israel strikes on Iran.

The Department of Energy has sought the help of the Philippine Competition Commission to look into possible ‘anti-competitive behavior’ of oil companies in the country amid surging fuel prices brought about by the Middle East conflict triggered by US-Israel strikes on Iran.

DOE asks PCC to check ‘cartelization’ of oil companies

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DOE asks PCC to check ‘cartelization’ of oil companies

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 10, 2026 10:44 PM PHT

|

Updated April 11, 2026 10:20 AM PHT

Read More:

DOE

PCC

Cartelization

Fuel price

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