Harsh penalties for ‘abhorrent’ acts: Yamsuan proposes jail term of up to 15 years for fuel hoarders, profiteers

Parañaque 2nd District Representative Brian  Yamsuan is pushing the passage of a measure that aims to punish hoarding, overpricing  and other illegal acts involving petroleum and petroleum products with jail terms of up to 15 years.

Yamsuan filed House Bill (HB) 8616 for this purpose to protect consumers from  fuel traders who exploit times of  economic difficulties, such as the current oil price crisis, to gain excessive profits.

“Hindi dapat pinapaglagpas ang mga ganitong klaseng kasakiman at pagsasamantala sa dinaranas na krisis ng ating mga kababayan. Our proposed legislation seeks to substantially increase the penalties imposed under the current law owing to the abhorrent nature of these crimes,” Yamsuan said.

(We should not allow these kinds of greed and exploitation of the crisis being suffered by our countrymen to go unpunished.)

“We hope that Congress would act swiftly and pass this bill when session resumes next month so that it would serve as a deterrent to those who profit from the misery and hardship that Filipinos face during times of volatile fuel prices,” he added.

Yamsuan issued the call following reports that the Department of Energy (DOE) has intensified its crackdown on fuel hoarding to prevent artificial shortages that could further drive up prices of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.

DOE Secretary Sharon Garin issued the Operating Guidelines Against Hoarding in the Downstream Oil Industry which will remain in force for the duration of the State of National Energy Emergency.  The DOE reconvened its joint task force with  the Department of Justice (DOJ) to receive and act on reports of hoarding, determine violations and initiate administrative and criminal proceedings under existing laws.

Yamsuan said the existing law, Presidential Decree (PD) 1865 which amended the 47-year old Batas Pambansa Blg. 33, has become outdated and out of sync with provisions of the Downstream Oil Deregulation Law (Republic Act [RA] 8479)  and the Price Act (RA 7581).

HB 8616 seeks to amend  the prison terms and fines for prohibited acts covered under  PD 1865. From the current prison term of two years to not more than five years, the bill aims to increase this to five to 15 years.  The minimum fine of P20,000 will be hiked to P50,000 and the maximum from P50,000 to P300,000 under the measure.

Prohibited acts inimical to the public interest and national security involving petroleum and/or  petroleum products under PD 1865 include illegal trading, adulteration or possession of adulterated products for the purpose of sale, distribution, transportation, barter of exchange; under delivery of underfilling; hoarding; overpricing; and misuse  of petroleum allocations.

Speed contests involving motor-driven vehicles conducted without the necessary permits; and skydiving and water skiing except when methanol is used for the power boat operation are also listed as prohibited acts under PD 1865.

Yamsuan noted that when news broke out early last month about the projected series of oil price increases resulting from the ongoing Middle East conflict, the DOE received at least 87 reports of excessive fuel price hikes, and issued 55 show-cause orders to operators of the reported gas stations.

Last week, the. Philippine National Police (PNP)  found  that 375 out of 14,519 gas stations in the country have remained temporarily closed due to supply constraints. Nine cases have been filed by the PNP for hoarding, profiteering and other unlawful activities involving petroleum products, according to its recent statement.