House Gives Marcos a Fuel-Tax Switch as Oil Pain Hits Hard

The House of Representatives has approved a measure that would let President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel as oil prices keep climbing because of conflict in the Middle East. Rappler reported that 247 lawmakers backed the bill, while the Makabayan bloc voted against it.

Under the proposal, the President can step in when Dubai crude reaches $80 per barrel or when oil prices surge extraordinarily during a declared national emergency or calamity. Since Congress holds taxation power, lawmakers still had to pass a law first before Malacañang could make that move.

The debate is really about how much relief this can give ordinary Filipinos. If excise taxes are fully suspended, kerosene could drop by around P5 per liter, diesel by P6, and gasoline by P10, based on figures cited in the report. Malinaw na that would matter a lot for drivers, commuters, and small businesses already squeezed by rising costs.

But critics said the bill may still fall short. Opposition lawmakers argued that a temporary adjustment is only a short-term band-aid and does not guarantee deeper, more durable relief from fuel-driven inflation. The government, on the other hand, is also weighing the revenue hit, which could reach P136 billion from May to December under a full suspension scenario.

For now, the bill still needs a counterpart from the Senate before it can land on the President’s desk. While that process plays out, the government has already started rolling out cash aid for affected transport workers, showing how quickly the oil shock is spilling into daily life in the Philippines.

Source: Rappler