No to the Return of Euro-2 in the Philippines! Sign the Petition Now!

Just this August 2018, the Department of Energy released Department Order 2018-08-0012 “directing the Philippine downstream oil industry to offer Euro II-compliant diesel as a fuel option for the transport and industry sector to reduce the impact of rising oil prices in the world market.”

Euro II, a cheaper diesel than what the country is currently using (Euro IV) contains 500 parts per million sulfur. The latter only has 50 parts per million sulfur.

Posing lots of environment and health risks, the department order downplays the Administrative Order 2015-04 co-issued by both the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Energy in 2015 as part of the efforts to better uphold of every Filipino’s right for clean air as per the Clean Air Act of 1999.

Petition for the Recall of Department Order No. 002018-08-0012 of the Department of Energy

We, the undersigned, hereby urge the Department of Energy to recall its above stated order dated August 10, 2018 entitled “DIRECTING THE PHILIPPINE DOWNSTREAM OIL INDUSTRY TO OFFER EURO-II COMPLIANT DIESEL AS FUEL OPTION FOR THE TRANSPORT AND INDUSTRY SECTOR,” based on the following reasons:

1.     The said order, with the question of its publication still hanging, has no basis in law because it has not legally promulgated the invalidation and supersedence of its own published Department Circular No. DC2015-06-0004 on June 8, 2015, which mandated the vending and use of EURO-IV fuels only starting since January 1, 2016;

2.     The said order has no basis in law, directly usurping the authority and power of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under the Clean Air Act, for reverting to a more pollutive EURO-II diesel when the DENR has already issued Department Administrative Order No. 2015-04 on March 24, 2015, requiring the emission standards of motor vehicles to be compliant with EURO-IV standards as provided for by the Clean Air Act. By virtue of this DAO of the DENR, the DoE was  enjoined and positively responded to issue its published Department Circular No. DC-2015-06-0004;

3.     The said order has no basis in law, directly usurping the authority and power of Congress for undermining and directly amending the very explicit provision of the Clean Air Act that requires the periodic improvement of the emission standards to mitigate the health effects of air pollution;

4.     The said order has no basis in law for failing to consult with all the stakeholders, particularly the public advocates for clean air, notwithstanding that the DoE has already been repeatedly admonished by Congress therefore;

5.     The said order utterly lacks prudence for failing to realize that EURO-II diesel’s 500 ppm sulfur will practically mean more pollutants as opposed to EURO-IV’s 50 ppm sulfur due to the fact that almost all vehicles do not have pollution control devices or catalytic converters that mitigate emission and the required implements that assure efficient combustion of diesel;

6.     The said order sorely lacks prudence for failing to realize most nations of the world are transitioning to higher standards – even EURO V or VI – due to the fact of worsening public health directly caused by vehicle emissions;

7.     The said order miserably lacks prudence and sensitivity for failing to recognize that some members of the European Union will start to ban petrol, particularly diesel, beginning in 2020. This is after the World Health Organization has issued the advisory that diesel fume is a type 1 carcinogen, i.e., human carcinogen; and

The said order obviously lacks prudence and sensitivity for failing to realize that the few-centavo discount of a EURO-II diesel will definitely mean a few hundred-peso (per capita) more public health expenditure because of the aggravated health effects of air pollution by re-introducing a more pollutive, yet slightly cheaper, but outdated and outlawed diesel.

Sign the Petition Here