KILUSANG Mayo Uno yesterday said President Benigno C. Aquino III will not impose price controls on petroleum products thus calling on the workers and people to join protests in the coming weeks to pressure the President to control oil prices.

President Aquino, earlier, while speaking to reporters in the 25th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Information Agency last Feb. 1 said he would impose price control on oil products if necessary.

“Pres. Aquino only sought to assuage the public’s fears with that statement. If he is really sincere in being open to controlling oil prices, he should have done that long ago,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“Only our protests can force Pres. Aquino to control oil prices. We are calling on workers, drivers, and the public to join our protests in the coming weeks to force the government to impose price controls on oil products,” he added.

In the same event, the President announced another tranche of Pantawid Pasada subsidy for public utility drivers as well as his government’s drive to rid roads of “colorum” bus operators and “kotong” cops.

“He hopes to drown the drivers’ primary concern over increasing oil prices with secondary concerns. It is the soaring prices of petroleum products which significantly reduce drivers’ incomes,” he said.

Since January, prices of oil have increased by around P2 and P1 per liter of gasoline and diesel, respectively.   Jun Icban Legaspi