P5K fuel subsidy ‘short-term’ fix, says transport group

The transport group PISTON said Friday that while the government’s P5,000 cash aid helps public transport drivers, it remains a temporary measure that fails to address the root cause of soaring fuel costs.

This comes as the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide extended its nationwide strike Friday to highlight the struggle of drivers amid the continued surge in petroleum prices.

“The subsidy they will provide is a help... P5,000 is a big deal. But this will only be swallowed by the continuous rise in the price of petroleum,” PISTON president Mody Floranda said. “We do not need a short solution; we need a long-term solution.”

The group is urging the government to remove the excise tax on petroleum products and scrap the Oil Deregulation Law. Floranda argued that removing the taxes and deregulated pricing would lower the cost of fuel by nearly P17 per liter.

“If we can remove the almost P17 added to every liter, that is equivalent to a decrease in the price of goods,” Floranda said.

The extension of the strike comes as transport cooperatives in various regions report that high fuel overheads have made daily operations unprofitable despite existing government subsidies.