My new Ignacio Bunye Award (for blatant pro-Arroyo propaganda)

Yeah, ginagaya ko dito si Andrew Sullivan.

The first nominee for this award is... Ignacio Bunye, GMA's media czar.

Bunye: Oil rollback is due to EVAT

PRESS Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said the recent rollback in oil prices was brought about by the implementation of the expanded value added tax.

He said the EVAT implementation resulted in investor confidence that strengthened the peso which in turn helped in bringing down prices of oil products.

He told a radio interview that since Nov. 1, when the EVAT took effect, the peso started to appreciate and this he said helped ease the cost of importing oil and other products.

"We pay in dollars. Kapag lumalakas ang piso kontra dolyar ay malaking kabawasan sa ating import bills sa langis. Kaya iyan ang isang direct benefit sa pagpapatupad natin ng EVAT…Lumalakas ang piso, bumababa iyung cost ng ating imports at isa sa mga pangunahing import products natin ay itong langis. Kaya nararamdaman natin iyan sa pamamagitan ng rollbacks," he said.

Sure, sure.

So kung tumataas ang gasoline prices sa bansa natin, kasalanan ng tumataas na world oil prices yan (na umabot ng $70 a barrel noong August). Yan ang sabi ng advertisement sa TV recently, diba?

Pero kung bumaba ang presyo ng gasolina, dahil ito sa EVAT?

Errr... sinong linoloko nyo, Mr. Information Minister?

OPEC oil prices go on falling last week

VIENNA, Nov. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- The average price of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) basket of 11 crudes went on to decline during the past week, standing at 52.58 US dollars a barrel, down 61 dollar from the previous week, the Vienna-based OPEC Secretariat said on Monday.

Analysts said the oil prices in the world market dropped due to continued increase in crude oil stockpiles in the US and a reduction in demand for heating oil due to warm weather in the States and Europe.

Gas prices fall for sixth straight week

Average cost of unleaded gas drops below $2.30 a gallon

WASHINGTON - For the sixth straight week, average retail gasoline prices have dropped nationwide, falling below $2.30 a gallon for the first time since early August.

The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.296 cents a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decline of 8 cents from the previous week. Pump prices are still 32.7 cents higher than a year ago.

I think a massive gov't effort to willfully misinform and distort is back in full swing again.