403 GAS STATIONS CLOSED — AND THE DOE IS JUST NOW ASKING WHY

403 fuel stations have shut down across the Philippines, and the government is now formally investigating whether those closures were deliberate.

The Department of Energy confirmed on March 24 that its Oil Industry Management Bureau has opened an investigation into each of those 403 stations. The joint operation with the Philippine National Police began weeks ago, but the investigation into the closures themselves is the newer development. DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella put it plainly: "The oil management bureau is now investigating why these gas stations closed down. If we find it unreasonable, there will be temporary or permanent revocation of the certificate of compliance."

The number escalated fast. PNP spokesperson BGen. Randulf Tuaño confirmed on March 23 that the count went from 273 the previous Wednesday to 403 in less than a week. Out of 14,313 fuel stations being monitored nationwide by the PNP, those 403 are now flagged.

WHAT HOARDING LOOKS LIKE FROM THE OUTSIDE

The suspicion is not complicated. When a gas station closes without explanation as prices surge, the DOE and PNP read it as a possible attempt to hold existing fuel stock and wait for prices to climb higher before reopening.

Cagayan Valley had 64 closures. Bicol had 42. Northern Mindanao logged 38. The National Capital Region, notably, had zero closures — but Metro Manila led the country in show-cause orders for a different violation: raising prices before the government-authorized date.

That second violation has its own paper trail. As early as March 6, the DOE had received what it described as "initial reports and evidence indicating potential irregularities in fuel supply and retail practices in Luzon and Mindanao." By March 9 and 10, the agency had issued show-cause orders against 54 stations, then 71, then 55 formal orders — all for jumping prices ahead of the DOE's mandated Tuesday implementation schedule.

The specific cases are documented. A Global station in Pasig City took diesel from P51.98 to P79.30 per liter — a 54.71 percent increase — before the authorized date. An outlet in Fairview, Quezon City listed diesel at P71 per liter. A Metro branch also in North Fairview charged P72, up from P49.75. DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said outright: "Those companies with a 40-50 percent increase are clearly engaging in exorbitant profiteering. However, we will adhere to the legal process."

CRIMINAL CASES FILED — BUT ONLY A FEW

The PNP did not stop at monitoring. In Nueva Vizcaya, a station in Solano was reported to authorities by a citizen who called 911 after seeing diesel priced at P84 per liter, significantly above what nearby stations were charging. In Eastern Samar, a 29-year-old driver was caught at a checkpoint in Barangay Arte on March 11 transporting 680 liters of premium gasoline without the required documents and permits. He was charged under Presidential Decree No. 33, as amended by PD 186, which criminalizes the unlawful hoarding of petroleum products. In Guinobatan, Albay, four individuals were arrested on March 20 for the illegal sale and distribution of petroleum products.

Those are the cases where charges have actually been filed.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. was direct about the broader situation: "We in the PNP fully understand the situation that gas station owners face amid the challenges brought by the situation in the Middle East. But if the sudden closure is for an illegal scheme, then expect police action on this matter."

THE PENALTY THAT REMAINS LARGELY UNTOUCHED

The law has teeth. Under Republic Act 10623, the Amended Price Act, hoarding, profiteering, and cartelization of prime commodities are classified as economic sabotage. The penalties are not light: fines from P5,000 to P2,000,000, and imprisonment of 5 to 15 years. On the administrative side, the DOE can suspend or permanently revoke a station's Certificate of Compliance — which is effectively a forced shutdown with no reopening.

Senator Francis Escudero said petroleum supply "is a matter of national security" and called for violators to "face the full weight of penalties prescribed under Republic Act 10623." President Marcos warned that those who exploit the crisis risk charges and losing their business license.

As of March 24, the DOE's investigation into the 403 closures is active. The show-cause orders issued in early March are still working through the administrative process. The criminal cases filed — Nueva Vizcaya, Eastern Samar, Albay, two in Samar — are a small number relative to the scale of violations documented.

No major oil retailer, no branded station, no company-level actor has faced the criminal penalty that the law prescribes.