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Josiah Antonio - The Philippine Star
March 28, 2026 | 12:00am
Various groups protest the continued increase in fuel prices, in Mendiola, Manila yesterday.
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — The second week of the transport strike ended yesterday with one of their calls – to remove excise tax on petroleum products – still in limbo.
Jeepney drivers, along with public utility bus operators, transportation network vehicle service (TNVS), motorcycle taxi and tricycle sectors, marched to Mendiola to press their calls to President Marcos amid the effects of the Middle East crisis.
However, the possible suspension or reduction of excise tax is not expected until mid-April.
“What will happen if he will implement it by April? He doesn’t need emergency powers, an executive order is enough,” Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) president Mody Floranda told reporters.
“It is demoralizing if that is the response of the government, that they cannot do so much in times that fuel prices are rising. Leave your post if you can’t do anything,” he added.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Mong Palatino said people could not afford to wait as they are already suffering amid the Middle East crisis.
“They do not have money left to buy food. If the President will still wait, he is accountable for the hunger, debt of ordinary Filipinos,” he said.
Floranda stressed the need for concrete solutions, including the removal of excise tax and the 12-percent value-added tax, as well as oil price rollbacks to P55 and the nationalization of the oil industry.
Palatino also questioned the sincerity of the statement of CEO Ramon Ang, who expressed his willingness to sell the oil company Petron.
“If the oil companies are really losing money, the government should take action so we can have enough control in an industry that is so important to us.”
PARA Commuters’ Network convenor Nanoy Rafael said: “If he (Ang) is sincere, return (Petron) to the government so that he will be charged for overpricing…The net service contracting will just absorb the fuel costs. Our drivers will gain nothing from that.”
Due to unresolved demands amid continued high fuel and commodity prices, Bayan is pushing for more mass demonstrations, accusing the Marcos administration of failing to address the crisis.
Palatino said the government has shown a lack of urgency, while criticizing what he described as inadequate relief measures such as the P5,000 fuel subsidy.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives echoed the criticism, accusing the administration of “coddling” oil companies while ordinary Filipinos struggle with rising costs.
Despite the tensions, the Philippine National Police said protest actions remained generally peaceful. — Emmanuel Tupas, Andrew Ronquillo, EJ Macabbabad, Jose Rodel Clapano
