The Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday, April 1, issued guidelines to delineate what constitutes hoarding within the downstream oil industry amid a State of National Energy Emergency (SNEE) to maintain the availability and accessibility to fuel.

The energy agency has reinforced its safeguards against practices that result in artificial shortages and price manipulation, eroding public confidence and creating unnecessary strain on consumers and the wider economy.

The guidelines clarify the rules for both commercial hoarding by industry participants and consumer hoarding, like panic-buying excessive amounts.

It provides an extensive framework that encompasses monitoring, prevention, and enforcement, such as:

• “Clear definitions of prohibited acts and hoarding indicators;

• Preventive measures, such as temporary fuel purchase limits when necessary and tighter regulation of container-based transactions;

• Enhanced monitoring through the Emergency Petroleum Monitoring System (EPMS) to track inventory levels, supply movements, and fuel distribution; and

• Defined enforcement procedures, including the issuance of Show Cause Orders and timelines for evaluation and case action,” wrote the DOE

“These Guidelines are meant to ensure that petroleum products continue to move where they are needed, when they are needed, and at a level that protects consumers, supports economic activity, and upholds public order amid the impact of the Middle East conflict on global oil markets,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

The DOE is reconvening the DOE - Department of Justice (DOJ) Task Force to ensure that the established rules are enforced.

Aside from the DOJ, the DOE is also working together with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and local governments in the implementation of the rules.