President Marcos treads carefully on using emergency powers to cut fuel taxes

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is taking a cautious approach before invoking the emergency powers granted by Congress to cut excise taxes on petroleum products, Malacañang said on Monday.

During a press briefing at Villamor Air Force Base in Pasay City, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that while the President is expected to sign the proposed measure once it reaches his desk, its actual implementation will depend on conditions set by law.

Castro explained that the President supports the measure and sees no reason to delay its signing.

“Bakit naman hindi po niya pipirmahan, eh siya po iyong nagnais nito,” she said, referring to Marcos’ earlier certification of the bill as urgent.

However, she emphasized that signing the measure and enforcing it are two different matters.

The law provides that the suspension or reduction of excise taxes on petroleum products may be implemented only after global oil prices reach at least US$80 per barrel for a continuous period of 30 days.

“At the time na binanggit niya iyan, wala pa po kasing 30 days, so mahihirapan po talaga siyang i-implement,” Castro said, noting that the threshold had not yet been met when the President made earlier remarks about the policy.

She added that once the required conditions are met, the government can immediately issue the necessary orders to implement the tax adjustment.

Castro also pointed out that excise taxes are imposed “upon entry” of imported oil, meaning that the timing of implementation will also depend on actual oil importation.

“If ever wala tayong maaangkat na langis, so hindi ma-e-exercise iyong pag-reduce at pag-suspend ng excise,” she explained.

The Palace official reiterated that the President’s cautious stance reflects the complexity of balancing fiscal considerations with the need to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on consumers.

-Paraluman News