QUIMBO URGES IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF FUEL EXCISE TAX — CALLS ON CONGRESS TO ACT BEFORE PRICES SPIKE

Atty. Miro Quimbo, Chairperson of the House Committee on Ways and Means, is calling for the immediate suspension of the fuel excise tax to shield Filipino consumers from the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East and the looming surge in global crude oil prices. Quimbo stressed that government should not wait until pump prices spiral out of control before taking action. “Now is the time to prepare before families are further burdened,” he emphasized, framing the proposal as a proactive safeguard rather than a reactive measure. However, the lawmaker clarified that suspending the excise tax cannot be done through executive action alone. Under existing law, the President must first be granted authority by Congress to temporarily suspend the fuel excise tax. For this reason, Quimbo is pushing for Congress to immediately pass a measure empowering the President to suspend the tax during extraordinary circumstances. He underscored that such authority should be tied to clear and measurable trigger mechanisms to ensure transparency, prevent abuse, and anchor the decision on actual movements in global oil prices. Beyond the macroeconomic implications, Quimbo positioned the issue as a matter of standing with ordinary Filipinos — including public transport drivers, workers, and small business owners who are directly hit by rising fuel costs and cascading price increases on basic goods. “If there was ever a time to act, it is now,” Quimbo said, warning that any delay in legislative action would ultimately leave Filipino households absorbing the brunt of higher fuel and commodity prices.