Oil Deregulation: A Law That Serves Whom?  

The Philippine Oil Deregulation Law, enacted in 1998, was supposed to usher in competition and efficiency. Instead, it has become a straitjacket for government response to fuel price spikes. Lawmakers themselves now admit that deregulation complicates intervention, yet they stop short of repealing it. This raises a fundamental question: if Congress cannot act to ease the burden of its constituents, then why does it exist?  

Fuel prices have once again surged, with diesel and gasoline climbing to levels that choke household budgets and cripple agricultural production. Farmers, already struggling with substandard fertilizer supplies, now face the added weight of soaring fuel costs. Every liter of diesel burned in a tractor translates into higher food prices, lower yields, and diminished competitiveness. For them, deregulation is not an abstract policy—it is a daily punishment.  

The irony is stark. Congress acknowledges the problem, but insists its hands are tied by a law it itself passed. Representation should mean alleviating the burdens of the people, not rationalizing their suffering. If the Oil Deregulation Law has become a source of hardship, then the logical step is to revisit—or repeal—it. To argue otherwise is to abdicate responsibility.  

To be fair, deregulation was intended to prevent government inefficiency and foster market discipline. But decades of experience show that the market has not delivered equitable outcomes. Instead, oligopolistic practices dominate, leaving consumers vulnerable to global shocks. The promise of deregulation has become a cruel joke, with the poor bearing the brunt of its failures.

The realpolitik of the matter is simple: laws must serve the people, not shield corporations. Congress cannot hide behind technicalities while Filipinos line up at gas stations, wallets bleeding. If legislators truly represent the public, they must muster the political will to dismantle a policy that has long outlived its usefulness.  

The challenge now is whether lawmakers will act decisively or continue to equivocate. If they fail, then the question lingers: for whom does Congress legislate—the people, or the powerful? Until that question is answered with courage, the Oil Deregulation Law will remain a symbol of misplaced priorities, and the Filipino people will continue to pay the price.