📷: Bayan Muna Partylist | FB
Former House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately suspend the excise tax and value-added tax (VAT) on petroleum products as the country faces what could be the biggest oil price hike this year due to escalating Israel-Iran tensions.
Zarate stressed that the government should not wait for oil prices to reach $80 per barrel before taking action, especially with Congress currently out of session and no new legislative measures in place to protect consumers from oil price shocks.
“Hindi dapat maghintay pa ang Pangulo na umabot sa $80 per barrel ang presyo ng langis bago kumilos. Kailangan na ngayon ang suspension ng excise tax at VAT sa petroleum products dahil walang ibang paraan na makakaprotekta sa mga consumer habang wala pa sa session ang Kongreso,” Zarate declared.
The former lawmaker emphasized that immediate executive action is crucial given the current legislative vacuum, with no emergency measures available to cushion Filipino families from volatile oil prices.
“The government has the executive power to suspend these burdensome taxes immediately. We cannot afford to wait for legislative action when our people are already suffering from rising prices of basic commodities,” he said.
Zarate cited the comprehensive proposals put forward by the Makabayan Coalition to address the oil crisis, including the immediate repeal of VAT and excise taxes on fuel which could provide an average relief of P27 per liter.
“Hindi gaanong tatamaan angga consumers kapag nabawasan natin ang mga pahirap na buwis at magkaroon ng sapat na regulasyon sa industriya ng langis. The government must act with urgency because prices are expected to get worse in the coming weeks,” Zarate stated.
The former Bayan Muna representative also called for greater transparency in oil pricing through unbundling, similar to water and electricity charges, to prevent overpricing and market abuse.
“We need transparency in oil and petroleum products and the consumets should see that. By seeing where every peso spent per liter goes, we can easily check for overpricing and market abuse. Hindi pwedeng patuloy na magtiis ang mga Pilipino sa walang-katapusang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis,” he added.
Zarate warned that without immediate government intervention, the oil crisis will trigger a domino effect on the prices of essential goods, further burdening Filipino families already struggling with inflation.
“Truth be told, the government does not have its hands tied in dealing with rising fuel costs. Maraming paraan para makatulong sa mga consumer, pero kailangan ng political will at mabilis na aksyon,” Zarate concluded.#
