Senator Win Gatchalian is pressing the government to temporarily halt the collection of excise taxes on diesel following a sharp surge in April’s inflation, which hit a three-year peak of 7.2%.
The lawmaker emphasized that while soaring prices diminish household incomes nationwide, the impoverished suffer the most because the majority of their finances go directly toward food, utilities, and transportation.
“Nababawasan nang husto ang purchasing power ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan dahil sa mahal ng mga bilihin,” he pointed out.
Gatchalian argued that pausing the tax is a necessary intervention to halt spiraling costs.
He noted that diesel serves as the “fuel of the masses,” heavily driving public transport, farming logistics, and the distribution of food supplies.
“Imbes na hayaan nating sumirit pa nang husto ang inflation, panahon na para alisin muna natin ang excise tax sa diesel,” he said.
To protect vulnerable sectors from future price shocks, the senator previously recommended that Congress establish an automatic, inflation-triggered funding mechanism.
This system would ensure that social assistance programs can deploy swift financial aid to poor families the moment the cost of basic goods spikes.
While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended the excise taxes on kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas on April 13, the administration remains hesitant to grant the same relief for gasoline and diesel, pointing to the substantial revenue losses the government would incur.