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Marc Jayson Cayabyab - The Philippine Star
April 22, 2026 | 12:00am
Motorcycle riders wait in line at a gas station in Quezon City yesterday, ahead of a major rollback in fuel prices.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos yesterday criticized her brother’s administration anew, this time for being late in mandating a fuel price adjustment.
The President’s sister said she was saddened by the belated move when global oil prices are already on the decline amid easing Middle East tensions.
“The DOE (Department of Energy) looked like it just learned of its powers under the law recently,” she said.
Sen. Marcos said the administration should have used its mandate to control fuel prices when the President declared a state of national energy emergency.
Lacson backs DOE
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson expressed support for the DOE’s move to mandate fuel price adjustments.
He welcomed DOE Secretary Sharon Garin’s announcement that the agency would be monitoring oil companies’ compliance with the minimum and maximum amount for diesel and gasoline prices amid easing Middle East tensions.
Oil firms refusing to comply with the price ceiling may have their licenses revoked or be charged with penalties or jail time under the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.
“The government must use the powers granted to it under a state of national energy emergency,” Lacson said.
A fuel price adjustment is better than giving oil companies the free hand to set prices, he noted.
“As long as the DOE’s computations are reasonable – whether the adjustments are upward or downward – this is better than just allowing oil firms to dictate prices of fuel,” Lacson said.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said fuel pricing is pursuant with President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 110, which declared the state of national energy emergency.
Gatchalian also pushed for the unbundling of fuel prices “to ensure that any increase is neither arbitrary nor without basis, especially to the detriment of ordinary Filipino households as well as micro and small businesses.”
“As the country is fully dependent on imports to meet local requirements for fuel, the public deserves to know the math. The DOE must clearly explain how oil companies compute price increases,” Gatchalian said.
