Senator Imee Marcos has called on the Philippine government to initiate government-to-government (G2G) oil procurement to tackle the oil crisis exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Marcos criticized the administration's lack of decisive action in response to the oil shock stemming from the US-Israel war with Iran, stating that the crisis is significantly impacting Filipinos.
The Iran war is a crisis all too real for most Filipinos. Sadly, we are bereft of the strong, decisive leadership that should lessen our people’s burdens from a global oil shock that will take years to resolve.
Senator Imee Marcos
She emphasized that the government should procure oil directly from supplier nations and pass on the savings to sectors heavily affected by rising fuel prices, including transport workers, farmers, and fisherfolk.
Questioning the government's delay in establishing G2G agreements, she pointed out that even private companies like Petron have successfully secured Russian crude oil.
If a private corporation can do it, why can’t the Philippine government?
Senator Imee Marcos
Marcos recalled that during past oil crises in the 1970s, the Philippines took proactive measures by negotiating direct oil imports at discounted rates.
She noted that other countries, such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka, are already moving forward with similar agreements to address their fuel shortages.
Marcos urged the Philippine government to learn from these nations and implement a sourcing strategy that reduces dependency on traditional routes vulnerable to disruption.
She suggested fostering closer ties with regional oil producers like Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia to improve supply stability.
The senator concluded that establishing direct partnerships with these countries would strengthen the Philippines' energy security amid global uncertainties.