By Lane Afable, News Editor
“Wala pong kapangyarihan ang Pangulo na mag-suspend ng VAT dahil walang batas sa ngayon na siya ay binibigyan ng kapangyarihan.
“So baka nagkakaroon ng misconception, at ngayon ay baka nakakarating sa mga transport sectors, sa mga drivers, sa operators na sa isang click ay masu-suspend ng Pangulo ang VAT,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Palace press briefing.
Instead, Malacañang calls for a dialogue with them than take a transport strike, slated on April 15 to 17, as we grapple with the impact of rising global oil prices.
“There is no law that grants President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the power to suspend or reduce the value-added tax (VAT) on fuel,” Castro said.
At the orders of President Marcos, government agencies have rolled out measures, including cash assistance and fuel subsidies for some sectors, to cushion the impact of rising oil prices.
“Nakikita natin mismo kung ano na ang ginagawa at nagawa ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon para sa transport sector. Sila nga iyong inuna. With or without any strike, transport strike, ang Pangulo naman ay dumidinig sa mga hinaing ng bawat Pilipino lalung-lalo na sa transport sector,” the Palace Press Officer further explained.
“Sa ating palagay, ang pagho-hold ng transport strike ay hindi napapanahon sa ngayon. Hindi ito makakatulong sa dinaranas natin dulot ng krisis sa Middle East. Ang kinakailangan lamang talaga dito ay negosasyon, pag-uusap, pagtutulungan,” she noted.
The Palace Press Officer assured the public that the transport sector’s concerns will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) committee.
The UPLIFT Committee, chaired by President Marcos, is a government body established under Executive Order No. 110 in March 2026 to ensure the stability of essential goods and services during an energy emergency, and to coordinate whole-of-government efforts to stabilize food supplies, fuel, and livelihood support for vulnerable sectors.
