Palace not ready to tell Reyes to shut up over oil price issue

Palace officials on Wednesday said they are not ready to tell Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes to shut up in his quarrel with former Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto and consumer advocates over oil prices. But they also said if it is proven that the energy chief is taking the side of oil companies, as some consumer and transport groups have alleged, he is on his own. “I don't think we're prepared to tell Secretary Reyes how to do his job," said deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar. He added that Reyes is “in a difficult position," as the Department of Energy is mandated to ensure that the country has sufficient energy supply at affordable prices, but it also has to support the implementation of the oil deregulation law. Charges that Reyes is favoring oil companies has mounted with his passionate defense of their oil pricing scheme during a hearing of the House committee on energy on Tuesday. An angry Reyes accused former Secretary Recto, who claimed that retail prices of oil products in the country have been overpriced by P8 a liter, of political grandstanding. [See: DOE chief defends oil price hikes, hits Recto for grandstanding] Apparently forgetting senate decorum, Reyes also started questioning a fellow resource person directly instead of addressing his queries to the committee chair. Reyes further earned the ire of Consumer and Oil Price Watch chairman Raul T. Concepcion boil when he said anybody who claims to know the right prices of oil products “is lying through his teeth." Reyes’ remarks has fueled demands by transport groups such as Pasang Masda and Piston for him to step down as DOE chief. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Palace will not support Reyes if he is defending the oil companies. Olivar also said it would be better if disputes between government agencies are settled in an amicable manner. “Let's try for light, not heat, on this issue," he said. Olivar said he hoped new policies that would benefit the public could come out from what he described as “a healthy airing of opinion" on the energy issue. “We wish they would be more dispassionate and controlled. But the important thing is that the differences are being aired publicly and hopefully the outcome of the disagreements would be new ideas, new policies so that the public benefits as well," he said. Recto resigned as economic planning secretary and concurrent director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) last week reportedly due to his quarrel with Reyes. Recto, who is seeking a seat in the Senate in next year’s election, has refused to confirm the rumor. Nonetheless, he promised to continue advocating transparency in the pricing of oil products in the local market. - GMANews.TV