House tackles Middle East crisis solutions today

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April 8, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Solutions to lessen the impact of the Middle East war will be discussed today at a “high-level joint hearing” spearheaded by the House ways and means panel.

With 12 other committees at the hearing, Speaker Faustino Dy III has directed ways and means chair Rep. Miro Quimbo and other panels to consolidate their data, coordinate with the executive branch and produce concrete policy interventions addressing immediate relief and long-term resilience.

The 13 panels are tasked with crafting a unified legislative response to the global fuel shock triggered by the escalating Middle East conflict, following the joint US-Israel missile attacks against oil-rich Iran.

A full slate of Cabinet officials, regulators and economic managers have been invited to brief lawmakers and present policy options.

Expected to attend are Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo.

Also invited were Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Francis Saturnino Juan, National Electrification Administration administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, Philippine National Oil Co. representative Ma. Cristina Sheila Cabaraban and PNOC-Exploration Corp. official Adrian Ferdinand Sugay.

Revenue and fiscal officials expected to attend include Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and National Treasurer Sharon Almanza.

Officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and National Tax Research Center will attend, alongside representatives from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Fuel taxes

Meanwhile, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago yesterday pushed back against Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s opposition to the removal of fuel taxes.

“Filipino households are overburdened by regressive taxes like the 12-percent value added tax and excise taxes on petroleum products. These layers of taxation worsen inflation and make basic goods more expensive, forcing families to shoulder costs they can no longer afford,” Elago said.

“Reduction of taxes is not destroying the economy, but the continued imposition of taxes against the people while big corporations are raking in millions in profit,” she argued.

Unbundle pump prices

House and Senate bills have been filed to combat price manipulation and require oil firms to disclose the breakdown of petroleum prices.

House Bill 8616, authored by Rep. Brian Yamsuan, seeks to amend lenient laws and imprison fuel hoarders and profiteers by up to 15 years.

Senate Bill 2007, authored by Sen. Imee Marcos, will amend the 1998 Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act by compelling refiners, importers, distributors and retailers to “unbundle” their pump prices.

Under SB 2007, oil firms must display the components of their fuel prices, which include the cost of crude oil, freight and insurance, refining and processing, distribution and marketing, taxes and dealer margins.

Meanwhile, Sen. JV Ejercito has urged state agencies not to sugarcoat their reports to the President to superficially improve the government’s response to the Middle East crisis. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Neil Jayson Servallos