With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certifying as urgent the bill granting authority to suspend or reduce excise taxes on petroleum products, Senator Erwin Tulfo is calling on the executive branch to ensure that relief is equitable, urging that the policy must cover gasoline to protect the nation’s 8.5 million motorcycle riders.
During the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing, Tulfo warned against limiting tax relief solely to diesel-based sectors.
“Let us not leave the motorcycle-riding public behind. They use gasoline for their motorcycles, so we cannot limit the excise tax suspension on diesel alone,” the legislator stated. “There are 8.5 million Filipinos who use motorcycles on a daily basis; many of them use it to go to work and others use it for their livelihood. What will happen to them if we do not include gasoline in the suspension?”
“We cannot limit the excise tax suspension on diesel alone.”
In response, Department of Finance Undersecretary Karlo Adriano confirmed that the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are preparing a holistic recommendation for the President’s approval that will consider these concerns.
Beyond tax relief, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development issued a stern warning against the politicization of government aid.
The lawmaker emphasized that with fuel subsidies currently reaching PUV drivers and fisherfolk, there must be zero tolerance for political grandstanding.
“We have policies in place prohibiting the intervention of politicians. Those who will be caught using this crisis as a tool for political motives must be punished,” the senator warned.
“The money being used for these subsidies is from hard-earned taxpayers’ money; there shall be no intervention of any politician in the distribution.”
“The money being used for these subsidies is from hard-earned taxpayers’ money; there shall be no intervention of any politician in the distribution,” he added.
Tulfo previously advocated for a special provision during the bicameral conference committee meeting of the 2026 General Appropriations Act prohibiting the participation of politicians in the distribution of government assistance.
This was followed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2026-006, which likewise prohibits such acts.
Further, he revived the “Anti-Epal Act” by filing Senate Bill No. 1750 last February, which seeks to permanently bar elected officials and candidates from participating in the actual distribution of government financial aid.
