Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has urged the government to consider decisive—even “extreme”—interventions to protect Filipinos from the relentless rise in petroleum prices.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Lacson stressed the need for transparency in addressing alleged “early” profiteering, warning that relief from a possible suspension of excise taxes may not be felt until June, “if at all.”
He pointed to around ₱230 billion in potential funds from the 2025 and 2026 General Appropriations Acts (GAA) that could be mobilized to support sectors most affected by the fuel crisis.
“May mga batas na pwedeng gamitin ang provision ng mga batas na ito dahil may state of energy emergency. Ngayon kung paano i-implement yan, at kailan gagamitin, kailan i-implement at paano i-implement, yan ang mas importante,” Lacson said.
The senator cited provisions under Republic Act No. 8479, which empower the Department of Energy to temporarily take over or direct operations of oil industry players during national emergencies.
Similar authorities exist under Republic Act No. 12120 and Republic Act No. 9511, covering the natural gas and power transmission sectors.
Acknowledging these as “extreme measures,” Lacson insisted they must remain available.
“At kung may talagang pag-aabuso ang sector na ito kailangan pumasok ang government, at least nakaamba para maging babala sa mapag abuso,” he added.
He also raised concern over the lack of updates regarding gasoline stations and dealers allegedly increasing fuel prices without clearance from regulators such as the Department of Energy or the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Lacson further pointed to Republic Act No. 12316, which grants the President emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise taxes on petroleum products. However, he noted that the law requires a one-month monitoring period before any suspension can be implemented.
With the law set to take effect on April 12, monitoring would begin only then, making May 12 the earliest possible date for the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to recommend suspension.
“With the slow bureaucracy, it may take until June for us to feel the relief from the suspension of the excise tax if at all,” Lacson said.
He underscored the need for clear and strategic planning in utilizing the available ₱230 billion, which includes ₱200 billion in unobligated funds from the 2026 GAA and ₱31 billion from the 2025 GAA.
“Dapat planuhin ng gobyerno, malinaw ang direction, saan paggagamitan itong pondo na available, at kung saan gagamitin ang ibang power na nakapaloob sa state of energy emergency,” he said.