Batangas 6th District Representative Ryan Recto has joined growing calls in Congress to grant President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the authority to temporarily suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel, as global oil prices remain volatile amid tensions in the Middle East.
Recto said empowering the President to adjust fuel taxes would help ease the burden on Filipino consumers and the transportation sector during periods of sharp price increases.
According to the lawmaker, the current excise tax structure imposes a fixed per-liter levy that guarantees steady government revenues but lacks the flexibility needed to respond to sudden spikes in global oil prices.
“The current statutory excise tax regime imposes a fixed per-liter tax that provides a stable revenue stream but lacks the flexibility to mitigate the sudden and severe inflationary impact of global price volatility.”
Recto also noted that safeguard provisions under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law have already lapsed, leaving the government without an immediate mechanism to soften the economic impact of international crises on fuel costs.
In November 2025, the neophyte legislator—son of Executive Secretary Ralph Recto—filed House Bill No. 5961, which seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code to allow the President to proactively manage the effects of global oil price volatility and shield consumers from inflationary pressures.
The proposed measure is currently pending before the House Committee on Ways and Means.