KIKO PANGILINAN TO OIL COMPANIES:
Oil price hike insensitive, "bordering on criminal"

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan slams oil companies who have raised their prices in the wake of Typhoon Juan's onslaught.

"That is insensitive and uncalled for--it's like rubbing salt to our wounds," said the senator, who chairs both the Agriculture and Social Justice committees in the Senate.

"Hindi pa nga nakakaalis ang bagyong Juan sa bansa at lugmok na lugmok pa ang ating mga kababayan dahil sa pinsalang dulot nito, naiisip pa nitong mga kumpanyang ito na magtaas ng presyo? Maawa naman sila sa taumbayan."

"I don't see why they need to raise their prices NOW," Pangilinan added. "Hindi ba nila puwede munang ipagpaliban 'yan? Now's a time when we all need to work together to rebuild after the world's worst storm of the year. To even consider raising prices now is bordering on criminal already."

"We will look into crafting legislation that bars price hikes during times of calamity to prevent corporate abuse especially when consumers are at their most vulnerable," Pangilinan ended.