Senator calls for fuel tax suspension as oil prices surge

MANILA — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the government's economic team to consider suspending excise taxes on gasoline and diesel to provide relief amid escalating fuel costs.

Gatchalian's call comes as the country grapples with elevated oil prices that have strained household budgets and increased transportation costs across the archipelago. The senator noted that while the government has already suspended taxes on kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), similar relief measures should be extended to gasoline and diesel.

"Economic managers should reconsider suspending the tax on gasoline and diesel, even if only temporarily," the senator said, emphasizing that current circumstances warrant expanded intervention beyond existing fuel relief programs.

The proposal reflects growing pressure on the government to provide immediate fiscal relief as global oil markets remain volatile. The suspension of fuel excise taxes represents one approach policymakers are considering to ease cost pressures on consumers and businesses dependent on fuel-intensive operations.

The government has not yet announced plans to expand the fuel tax suspension to gasoline and diesel, though the senator's intervention signals continued debate among lawmakers over the most effective measures to address fuel price inflation.