2 weeks ago
16
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
March 9, 2026 | 12:00am
A gasoline station in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan announces that it has run out of diesel yesterday.
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — Senators yesterday called for a crackdown on gas stations prematurely raising pump prices, warning that the unabated fuel price hikes have slashed the daily take-home pay of public utility vehicle drivers to less than P300.
As Filipinos brace for a massive fuel price surge triggered by tensions in the Middle East, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he filed a resolution urging President Marcos to create an inter-agency task force to crack down on abusive oil companies and gas stations and to monitor oil inventories.
In a radio interview on dzBB, Gatchalian noted that some retail outlets are taking advantage of the global crisis by implementing immediate and unreasonable price hikes.
“I filed a resolution urging the executive to convene a task force which will monitor fuel prices, and maybe even the price of basic commodities,” he said.
Gatchalian recommended the task force be headed by the Department of Energy, working alongside the Department of Justice and trade agencies for the filing of cases.He suggested that the DOE utilize existing laws to penalize violators.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson urged the public to report erring retailers to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local government units (LGUs), warning that raising prices ahead of official adjustments constitutes “hoarding and profiteering.”
Lacson noted that such actions violate Republic Act 8479 or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act, and Republic Act 7394 also known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
Lacson said Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has “cascaded instructions” to the PNP and LGUs to monitor and initiate criminal or administrative proceedings against abusive operators.
Flexible work scheme
In a bid to conserve energy amid looming fuel prices, courts nationwide will implement a flexible work arrangement requiring four days of onsite work and one day remote work every week, starting today.
In Memorandum Circular 02-2026, the Supreme Court (SC) has outlined the new work arrangements to be implemented.
Under the circular, officials and employees of the SC will maintain a five-day work week, but will report onsite from Monday to Thursday, with Friday generally designated as a “work-from-home day.”
Even on designated WFH days, the SC said at least 25 percent of employees in each office or division must report onsite every Friday as determined by the head of office or division, to ensure continuity of operations.
Personnel working remotely are required to remain reachable during office hours through official communication channels and must attend meetings, hearings, conferences, or other onsite work when directed.
“The WFH arrangement shall not be used to justify delay, inaccessibility, neglect of duty, or failure to meet required outputs,” the memorandum read.
Certain offices are excluded from the arrangement and must maintain regular work schedules.
These include the offices of the Chief Justice, the Senior Associate Justice and the Associate Justices, as well as the Cash Collection and Disbursement Division of the Fiscal Management and Budget Office, the Docket-Receiving Section of the Judicial Records Office, essential personnel of the Management Information Systems Office and the Office of the Judiciary Marshals.
Employees who report on-site on Fridays will be granted non-compensatory time off, subject to existing rules and regulations. — Daphne Galvez
