OUR expert columnists here at The Manila Times continually remind of us of critically important issues we might otherwise have overlooked in our efforts to cover day-to-day news, a mission that is challenging even under the easiest circumstances.

One of those issues was brought to our attention again by Atty. Dodo Dulay, whose “Flipside” column yesterday addressed the incredible situation in which major oil company Pilipinas Shell – the local component of global oil giant Royal Dutch Shell BV – has been allowed to evade compliance with the 1998 Oil Deregulation Law for nearly 18 years up to now.