The 50-centavo increase in gas, diesel, and kerosene prices in the country Wednesday left jeepney drivers and operators angry.

In an exclusive interview, secretary general George San Mateo of the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) said that they condemn the “arbitrary” increase in oil prices by local companies, especially the Big 3.

“This goes to show how the Big 3 is unmindful of the already difficult economic situation of drivers and the motoring public,” San Mateo said. “They can’t even justify the need to hike prices, that’s why they didn’t even bother to advise us.”

San Mateo said the latest hike, the third this month, is proof that the President Arroyo herself and Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes are in favor of the increase apparently because of the large 12-percent value added tax that the government gets from oil products.

“Reyes has kept mum about this,” he said. “And his silence tells us that he does not deserve to be a party-list nominee for the transport sector.”

The country’s largest oil retailer and refiner Petron Corp. adjusted its prices as early as 12 noon Tuesday, while Chevron and Seaoil Philippines did so as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

It was on March 3 when local oil companies increased the cost of gasoline by P1 per liter and of diesel and kerosene by 75 centavos a liter. On March 9, the public saw local oil companies raising gasoline prices by 50 centavos a liter and diesel and kerosene by 25 centavos a liter.