Anakpawis confident Congress will favor fuel excise tax suspension

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MANILA, Philippines — The Anakpawis party-list is confident that Congress will favor a suspension of the fuel excise tax amid soaring oil prices.

Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao on Saturday said the issue has engaged re-electionists solons to create measures as part of their electoral agenda.

Casilao likewise raised the necessity to convince President Rodrigo Duterte to convene both Houses of Congress and discuss the issue.

“Ang mahalaga po itulak si Pangulong Duterte, una (What’s important is to push President Duterte, first) — as an immediate and concrete short-term solution — for the president to call upon Congress, the lower House and Senate, to convene,” he said in a media forum.

“We believe Congress, ‘yung members of the House and the Senate, mga senador natin na mga incumbent, including the reelectionist at ‘yung mga graduating ay will favor for the suspension of the excise tax, for the passage of a joint House resolution to suspend—i-revoke lang ‘yung provision ng Train (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) law na with regards to the suspension of the excise tax,” he added.

(We believe, Congress, the members of the House and the Senate, incumbent senators, including reelectionist and those graduating will favor for the suspension of the excise tax, for the passage of a joint House resolution to suspend—to revoke the provision of Train law with regards to the suspension of the excise tax.)

Duterte recently opposed the suspension of fuel excise tax as recommended by the Department of Finance as the country could lose P105.9-billion worth of income which would be used to fund several programs.

Aside from the fuel excise tax suspension, Casilao said an emergency fund should be also be approved, if the Congress is in a special session.

“If Congress and the government can allot, appropriate immediately, coming from the different sources of agencies na may mga (with) savings na pupwedeng gawin ito tulad ng (which can be done like the ) Bayanihan 1 fund for ayuda (aid), maaring magawa ito (this can be done) the soonest possible time,” he explained.

For a long-term solution to rising fuel prices, Casilao said the oil deregulation law must be revisited.

Earlier, Duterte called on the Congress to review the oil deregulation law as prices continue to increase amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Current local pump prices have reached P84 per liter of diesel and P94 per liter of gasoline.

/MUF