A militant lawmaker on Wednesday denounced the latest big-time oil price hike, saying such will further burden poor consumers as Congress pursues the measure that increases excise tax and impose tax in some previous non-VAT oil products like diesel.
“Poor consumers will likely be the most affected not only by the unabated oil price hikes and the looming tax reform law. A mere centavo increase on oil products often triggers price increase in some basic commodities, what more if the increase is more than P1?,” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao said.
Last Monday, oil companies announced big- time price hikes of P1.20 for diesel, P.70 for gas and P.90 for kerosene.
About a week ago, oil companies jacked up the price of their oil products, P.70 for diesel, P.3 for gas and P.50 for kerosene.
Casilao said that the promise of change by the Duterte government was not felt by ordinary people and also allowed oil companies to raise their oil products without batting an eye.
This, he said, would be a double whammy for the poor when Congress enacts House Bill 5636 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) where part of the bill is to increase excise tax and impose tax in some previous non-VAT oil products like diesel.
“What is worrisome is the total adverse effect of tax on oil when the proposed TRAIN bill will be enacted into law. As of present, there is no significant move to raise the wage of workers both in the government and private sector to at least mitigate the effect of the series of oil price increases,” Casilao said.
He said that President Duterte “should be worried that the combination of unabated prices of basic commodities which include oil products and a regressive tax measure will result to the mass unrest in the long run.”
Casilao said if these will not be resolved, ordinary Filipino individuals, including Mr. Duterte, support from the grass root level will eventually rise against the government, unless he will order his allies in congress to withdraw the TRAIN proposal and control the prices of oil through government regulation.’
“The continuing imposition of Oil Deregulation Law which perpetuates abuse and obvious profiteering racket of the oil companies, as a strategic industry, it should have been under the control of the state to ensure that oil prices are within the reach of the consumers and the general public.
The Duterte government should act on it or face series of protest against its complacency on the continuing oil price hikes,” he added.