THE Duterte government was asked Sunday to promptly suspend oil excise taxes to cushion the impact of another looming round of oil price hikes expected this week.
Opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan aired the appeal over the weekend, suggesting the tax suspension will be a big help not just to drivers, farmers and fishermen.
On Sunday, Pangilinan renewed calls for President Duterte to “immediately suspend excise tax on oil products to ease the burden and shock of another oil price increase.”
At the same time, the senator revived an earlier appeal to the Duterte administration to “give fuel subsidy to heavily affected sectors such as transport, farmers, fisherfolk and the basic commodity-producing sectors.”
He noted that by Tuesday, prices of diesel are projected to increase by P1.80 to P1.90 per liter, while gasoline will increase by P1.40 to P1.50 per liter, as the Unioil Philippines said in a forecast, reminding that Tuesday’s projected increase is “the fourth straight week local oil companies are raising pump prices” pointing to a 7-year high peak in the global oil prices.
The lawmaker lamented that “whatever upward adjustments in oil prices have immediate impact on price hikes of food and basic commodities,” reminding that “the poor are first to feel the spike in prices.”
(“Anuman pagtaas sa presyo ng langis ay may immediate impact sa pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain at basic commodities. Ang mahihirap ang makakaramdam agad-agad ng pagsipa ng presyo ng mga bilihin.”)
Citing Department of Energy figures, he noted that for the entire 2021, prices had a total net increase of P17.65 per liter for gasoline, P14.30 per liter for diesel and P11.54 per liter for kerosene.
Pangilinan, in turn, proposed that priority should be given to extending fuel subsidy to drivers of public utility jeepneys, buses and tricycles, as well as farmers and fishermen as the big chunk of their expenses goes to buying crude oil.
(“Dapat unahin ang pagbibigay ng fuel subsidy sa mga tsuper ng jeepneys, buses, tricycles. At gayun din sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Malaki bahagi ng gastos nila ay napupunta sa pagbili ng krudo.”)
Pointing out that the suspension of excise tax on oil products will immediately mitigate the negative impact of oil price surge, Pangilinan said: “Bababa ang presyo ng krudo at iba pang fuel products kapag sinuspinde ang excise tax on fuel prices.”
He added: “Sana huwag ng magpatumpik-tumpik ang gobyerno sa pagbibigay ng cash grants o cash subsidy sa mga tsuper ng transport sector. Isama na rin ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda na tiyak na apektado ng pagtaas ng presyo ng fuel sa Martes.”
[I hope the government does not slack off in providing cash grants or cash subsidies to drivers in the transport sector. Also include farmers and fishermen who will definitely be affected by the fuel price hike on Tuesday.]This, as Pangllinan cited estimates “that 70 percent of the total expenses of fishermen is cornered by fuel used in running their fishing boats,” lamenting little is left to take home.
“Wala na nga halos kita ang magsasaka at mangingisda ngayon, tapos sisipa pa ang presyo ng fuel. Dagdag na kalbaryo at pahirap ito sa kanila,” Pangilinan said. “In the end, tayong lahat ay tatamaan ng hambalos ng fuel price increase. Lalo itong magdudulot ng gutom at pahirap sa gitna ng pandemya.”
[Farmers and fishermen have almost no income now; and then the price of fuel will kick up: more hardships for them, ”Pangilinan said. “In the end, we will all be hit by the fuel price increase. It will further cause hunger in the midst of a pandemic.]