Castro calls Marcos admin’s response to oil crisis ‘utterly inadequate’

Koalisyong Makabayan co-chair and former ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro slammed the Marcos Jr. administration for its failure to deliver meaningful relief to the Filipino people in the face of relentless oil price hikes and rising costs of basic commodities.

Castro called the government's response wholly insufficient and its bid for special powers a dangerous red herring.

He pointed out that the current oil price crisis did not begin with the US-Israel war in the Middle East, and that Filipinos have been burdened by week-on-week price increases since 2026 and in previous years—a reality that long predates the latest conflict triggered by the Trump-Netanyahu tandem.

"The Marcos administration would like to blame the global market, and yes, we are dependent on imported oil—that much is true," Castro said.

He said the deeper problem is that the government has tied its own hands with the Oil Deregulation Law.

Castro said instead of genuine competition bringing prices down, oil companies have been colluding to ensure prices only go in one direction: up. "And this administration has done nothing meaningful to stop it."

The solon dismissed as unnecessary and alarming President Marcos Jr.'s reported interest in seeking emergency powers to bring down excise taxes on oil.

"Gusto pa ng emergency power ni Marcos para ibaba ang excise tax. Hindi na yan kailangan—at hindi rin ito ang tunay na solusyon," Castro said. "Ang hilig sa special power ng mga Marcos ay hindi bago. Pero ang tanong ng mamamayan ay simple: bakit hindi gamitin ng Pangulo ang kanyang kapangyarihan para sa interes ng nakararami, at hindi para sa interes ng iilan?"

The administration, according to the lawmaker, should certify as urgent a comprehensive set of legislative measures that would provide immediate and structural relief to the people. These include: the immediate passage of legislation scrapping excise taxes and expanded VAT on oil products, electricity, water, communications, and other basic necessities; the enactment of a law mandating the unbundling of oil product prices so the public can see the true cost breakdown being imposed by profit-hungry oil companies; the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law; and the renationalization of Petron, which was sold off to private interests.

"Ito ang mga dapat gawin—hindi ang pag-aaksaya ng oras sa pag-iisip ng emergency powers na maaari pang gamitin bilang instrumento ng pang-aabuso," Castro stressed. "Ang krisis sa presyo ng langis at bilihin ay krisis sa kabuhayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Drayber, magsasaka, mangingisda, manggagawa—lahat sila ay dinudugo na sa gasolina at gastos sa pagkain. Sapat ba ang tugon ng Marcos administration? Malinaw ang sagot: hindi."

Castro underscored that the structural roots of the oil price crisis—import dependence, deregulation, and corporate collusion—demand structural solutions, not temporary palliatives or grabs for executive power.

"The Filipino people do not need a President who collects special powers. They need a President who uses the powers he already has to protect the public interest, to stand up to oil cartels, and to legislate genuine relief. So far, President Marcos Jr. has shown he is more interested in the latter than the former," Castro said.

"Ibaba ang presyo ng langis at bilihin. Ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law. Isabansa muli ang Petron. Yan ang mga hakbang na talagang magbibigay ng ginhawa sa mamamayan—hindi ang dagdag pang kapangyarihan para sa isang administrasyong hindi pa nagagamit nang maayos ang kapangyarihang mayroon na sila," she concluded.Koalisyong Makabayan co-chair and former ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro slammed the Marcos Jr. administration for its failure to deliver meaningful relief to the Filipino people in the face of relentless oil price hikes and rising costs of basic commodities.

Castro called the government's response wholly insufficient and its bid for special powers a dangerous red herring.

He pointed out that the current oil price crisis did not begin with the US-Israel war in the Middle East, and that Filipinos have been burdened by week-on-week price increases since 2026 and in previous years—a reality that long predates the latest conflict triggered by the Trump-Netanyahu tandem.

"The Marcos administration would like to blame the global market, and yes, we are dependent on imported oil—that much is true," Castro said.

He said the deeper problem is that the government has tied its own hands with the Oil Deregulation Law.

Castro said instead of genuine competition bringing prices down, oil companies have been colluding to ensure prices only go in one direction: up. "And this administration has done nothing meaningful to stop it."

The solon dismissed as unnecessary and alarming President Marcos Jr.'s reported interest in seeking emergency powers to bring down excise taxes on oil.

"Gusto pa ng emergency power ni Marcos para ibaba ang excise tax. Hindi na yan kailangan—at hindi rin ito ang tunay na solusyon," Castro said. "Ang hilig sa special power ng mga Marcos ay hindi bago. Pero ang tanong ng mamamayan ay simple: bakit hindi gamitin ng Pangulo ang kanyang kapangyarihan para sa interes ng nakararami, at hindi para sa interes ng iilan?"

The administration, according to the lawmaker, should certify as urgent a comprehensive set of legislative measures that would provide immediate and structural relief to the people. These include: the immediate passage of legislation scrapping excise taxes and expanded VAT on oil products, electricity, water, communications, and other basic necessities; the enactment of a law mandating the unbundling of oil product prices so the public can see the true cost breakdown being imposed by profit-hungry oil companies; the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law; and the renationalization of Petron, which was sold off to private interests.

"Ito ang mga dapat gawin—hindi ang pag-aaksaya ng oras sa pag-iisip ng emergency powers na maaari pang gamitin bilang instrumento ng pang-aabuso," Castro stressed. "Ang krisis sa presyo ng langis at bilihin ay krisis sa kabuhayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Drayber, magsasaka, mangingisda, manggagawa—lahat sila ay dinudugo na sa gasolina at gastos sa pagkain. Sapat ba ang tugon ng Marcos administration? Malinaw ang sagot: hindi."

Castro underscored that the structural roots of the oil price crisis—import dependence, deregulation, and corporate collusion—demand structural solutions, not temporary palliatives or grabs for executive power.

"The Filipino people do not need a President who collects special powers. They need a President who uses the powers he already has to protect the public interest, to stand up to oil cartels, and to legislate genuine relief. So far, President Marcos Jr. has shown he is more interested in the latter than the former," Castro said.

"Ibaba ang presyo ng langis at bilihin. Ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law. Isabansa muli ang Petron. Yan ang mga hakbang na talagang magbibigay ng ginhawa sa mamamayan—hindi ang dagdag pang kapangyarihan para sa isang administrasyong hindi pa nagagamit nang maayos ang kapangyarihang mayroon na sila," she concluded.