As oil companies implement hefty oil price hikes today, with gasoline prices reaching up to P68/liter and diesel prices up to P72/liter, transport group PISTON warns of worse inflation if oil prices continue to surge and if the national government will remain deaf on calls to urgently lower oil prices by suspending fuel value-added tax and excise tax.
“Kapag pinatupad ang pagsuspinde sa mga buwis na ito, kagyat mababawasan nang P14 haggang P18 kada litro ang presyo ng langis sa gasolinahan. Ibig sabihin nito’y halos P420 ang matitipid ng mga tusper sa isang buong araw ng pagbabanat ng buto. Bawas gastos din sa ibang mga moda ng transportasyon gaya ng pag-transport sa mga pagkain kaya malaking tulong din ito sa ating mga kababayang konsumer dahil pagbaba rin ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin ang epekto nito,” said Mody Floranda, PISTON national president.
The group has been pushing for the immediate passage of House Bill 400 which aims to lower the price of oil by scrapping the 12% VAT and the excise tax on oil and other petroleum products. The bill was filed by the Makabayan bloc on June 30, 2022 but has been pending with the House Committee on Energy since July 26, 2022. PISTON blasts the slow progress of the said bill in the 19th Congress and blames the national government’s lack of political will to take urgent, concrete steps to dampen inflation’s effects on ordinary Filipinos’ lives.
“Kung gugustuhin naman ng pangulo, nagagawan naman nila ng paraan eh. Isang utos lang ni Marcos Jr na i-certify as urgent ang isang bill, dali-dali ring niraratsada ng mga mambabatas,” said Floranda. “Bakit ang Maharlika Fund, sa kabila ng mariing pagtutol ng mamamayan at ng mga eksperto, 17 days lang sa Kongreso, naipasa na agad habang itong pagpapababa sa presyo ng langis, ilang buwan nang nakabinbin, ilang beses na ring tumaas ang mga presyo, wala pa ring usad?”
PISTON fears of worse transport crisis if the Marcos Jr government will not assert its regulatory responsibility over essential public utilities and services such as fuel and public transportation. The group earlier expressed opposition regarding the Department of Transportation’s plans to privatize the EDSA Bus Carousel, saying that privatization and deregulation have never served the interest of the public and that privatization may lead to higher fares.
“Kita naman sa mahigit dalawang dekadang pagpapatupad ng Oil Deregulation Law na walang nagagawang mabuti sa mamamayan ang deregulasyon at pribatisasyon. Ang kailangang natin ay responsableng pamamahala ng pamahalaan sa mga batayang industriya at public utilities para bumaba naman ang mga presyo’t pamasahe, at ma-afford na rin natin ang sibuyas,” quipped Floranda.