Isko on fuel tax cut: Time for government to make sacrifices

Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno on Thursday pushed anew for a 50 percent cut on fuel excise tax amid incessant oil price hikes, saying it's time government sacrifice some revenues.

“Sa panahon ng kagipitan, ang gobyerno ang dapat magparaya, para naman maibsan ang hirap ng tao,” Moreno said in a statement.

(In times of crisis, the government should give way to ease the burden of the people.)

Moreno warned the escalating tension between Ukraine and Russia impact on world oil prices which will have a domino effect on the costs of food and commodities.

“With the Ukraine-Russia conflict escalating into a war, all the more oil supplies will become scarce and expensive,” he said.

“The impact on the lives of Filipinos will be so difficult in the coming months. It is time government steps backward, sacrifice some revenues, just to alleviate people’s sufferings,” Moreno pointed out,” he added.

Moreno previously called for the government to lower the excise tax on fuel products and even on electricity to help ordinary Filipinos.

“To cushion the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, a 50% reduction in fuel excise tax can lower the power generation cost and another 50% cut on taxes on electricity would mean savings for the majority of our people, many of whom are jobless now due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he had said.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine with explosions heard across the country and its foreign minister warning a "full-scale invasion" was underway.—LDF, GMA News