MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Lito Lapid has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider suspending fuel excise taxes as the continued increase of prices of petroleum products puts additional pressure on workers.
In a statement, Lapid said the government should consider the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recommendation to activate measures provided under Republic Act (RA) 12316, which allows the temporary suspension or reduction of excise taxes on petroleum products under specified market conditions.
Lapid is a co-author of RA 12316, which provides measures for the suspension of fuel excise taxes under certain circumstances to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on consumers.
Under the law, the President may suspend or reduce fuel excise taxes when the monthly average price of Dubai crude oil reaches the threshold set by the legislation.
The DOE’s latest data cited by Lapid showed that the average price of Dubai crude reached $99.41 per barrel from Aug. 13 to Sept. 11, 2026, well above the $80-per-barrel level identified under the law.
"It is timely for the President to suspend the excise tax on petroleum products, as this would greatly help the livelihoods of our fellow citizens," Lapid said in Filipino.
The senator made the statement following his visit to Baguio City where he led the distribution of assistance to about 1,000 workers and small livelihood earners.
