BY BULATLAT
July 14, 2008 -5:09 p.m.
Workers under the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) slammed the overpricing and excessive profiteering of big oil companies.
In a statement, Wilson Baldonaza, KMU secretary general said, “Big oil companies are at the crux of their greed. They are ready to kill millions of people from hunger and poverty for the sake of all the riches they can acquire.”
Earlier, independent think tank IBON Foundation revealed that recent oil prices are now overpriced by P12 per liter.
IBON further revealed that Royal Dutch Shell’s net income amounts to $27.6 billion in 2007, while Pilipinas Shell has P4.12 billion; Chevron has $18.7 billion, nine percent higher from 2006, and Caltex has P2.75 billion; while Petron has P5.94 billion, three percent up from last year.
Baldonaza also scored the government’s large profiteering from value-added tax (VAT), collecting P118.29 million every day from VAT on diesel and P22.77 million on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“Big companies just charge their taxes to the buying public, and the regime corrupts from tax collections. This is the double cross we suffer under their greed,” Baldonaza said. “And now they have the guts to tell us that we do not deserve a substantial wage hike? We who perspire for their wealth should break free from their mercy.”
The group will be holding a Black Day protest tomorrow July 15. Those joining the rally would assemble at the Trabaho Market, España at 1:00 p.m. and march to Plaza Miranda for a program. (Bulatlat.com)
