Pacquiao says DOE fell short on fuel price hikes

Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao stated that the Department of Energy (DOE) exhibited shortcomings in addressing fuel price hikes, suggesting proactive measures could have mitigated the situation.

Pacquiao believes that the continuous fuel price increases could have been avoided if the DOE possessed the foresight to establish buffer stocks of gasoline and diesel.

He proposed that the state-owned Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) should maintain regular fuel stockpiles as a reserve for periods of significant increases in global fuel prices.

According to Pacquiao, the PNOC-EC was created to perform this function, but it has failed to fulfill its duty, leaving the country without fuel reserves and funds for consumer subsidies.

The senator expressed frustration that the government tends to prepare only when crises occur, questioning why proactive measures are not taken even in the absence of immediate disasters.