Palace: No sign from Duterte on call for special session to suspend fuel excise tax

President Rodrigo Duterte is not yet considering calling for a special session in Congress which will allow lawmakers to take action on bills seeking to address unabated increase in oil prices, the Palace said Tuesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles was responding to the call of House Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero who is pushing for measures that will reduce or suspend excise taxes on petroleum prices.

"Wala pong indication pa in terms of pronouncement from the President to that effect ‘no," Nograles said.

(There is no indication of the pronouncement from the President to that effect.) 

Nograles said the House of Representatives and the Senate should be on the same page first.

"Again, you need the House of Representatives and the Senate together, they need to reach out to each other," Nograles said.

"And then of course, mag-communicate kay Pangulong Duterte. But as of the moment wala pa pong indication with regard to that, iyang panawagan na iyan," he added.

(Thereafter, they should communicate it to the President. But as of the moment, there is no such thing.)

Both houses of Congress only have six days to tackle all pending measures in their respective chambers after the adjournment of session last February 4 to give way to the campaign period for the May elections.

The campaign period for national candidates will run from February 8 to May 8.

Congress will resume session on May 23. —NB, GMA News