Metro Manila, Philippines – A number of lawmakers slammed Malacañang’s denial of an oil crisis as the Middle East conflict triggered historic fuel price spikes that impacted the economy in general.
In an interview on Tuesday, March 24, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said the creation by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself of a crisis committee to address the economic fallout was a counterstatement.
“Sinasabi niyang wala pang krisis pero si Presidente Marcos naman ay nasabi na magfo-form ng crisis committee…Ano pa bang hinihintay niya? Hinihintay pa ba niyan magutom ang ating mga kababayan bago niya sabihing may krisis?” Tiangco told reporters, referring to a statement by Palace press officer Claire Castro that enough oil supply negates any possible crisis declaration.
[Translation: She said there is no crisis yet, but President Marcos has already said he will form a crisis committee…What else is she waiting for? Is she waiting for our fellow citizens to go hungry before she admits that there is a crisis?]
Senator Win Gatchalian, who chairs the ad hoc committee on Middle East conflict response, said there is no need to debate whether the country is facing a crisis.
“Para sa amin sa Senado, nasa crisis na tayo…Kung uncertain ang supply, kahit na meron tayong stock on land, pero hindi natin alam kung may darating, para sa akin, crisis na ‘yun,” he said at an inquiry on March 24.
[Translation: For us in the Senate, we’re already in a crisis… If the supply is uncertain – even if we have stock on land, but we don’t know if more will come – for me, that’s already a crisis.]
Kamanggagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando said the government should be in “crisis mode” with unending fuel price spikes.
On Tuesday, March 24, the Department of Energy projected that diesel costs may go as high as ₱134 per liter, and gasoline by as much as ₱112 per liter this week.
“Mr. President, gising na! Lumabas na kayo sa sarili niyong mundo. Nasa krisis na po tayo,” San Fernando said.
[Translation: Mr. President, wake up. Get out of your own world. We are now facing a crisis.]
Kabataan Rep. Renee Co called on the president to “touch some grass.”
She reiterated demands from transport groups, including the suspension of excise tax and value added tax on oil products and the dismissal of the oil deregulation law – which removed government control on fuel prices.
“Time and time again, napapako ang mga pekeng pangako ng administrasyong ito. Mula sa bente pesos na bigas noon, hanggang sa emergency powers para pababain kuno ang fuel excise tax ngayon, puro ngawa at walang nagagawa,” Co said.
[Translation: Time and again, this administration’s fake promises fall flat. From the ₱20-per-kilo rice before, to the so-called emergency powers now that supposedly aim to lower the fuel excise tax, it’s all complaints and no real action.]
