“What good is the grass if the horse is already dead?”

This was the frustration voiced by Orlando Marquez, president of the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), on Monday over the government’s slow-moving relief efforts amid the ongoing oil crisis.

The LTOP is a non-stock, non-profit federation representing some 400,000 public utility vehicle (PUV) operators nationwide — including 30,000 jeepney, 2,000 bus, 2,000 UV Express, and the majority of tricycle operators across 13 regions.

Marquez criticized the administration for failing to promptly enforce President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s executive power to suspend the fuel excise tax, even as diesel prices are expected to reach P170 per liter this Tuesday.

“It is saddening. We’ve been talking about the President being given emergency powers by Congress and the Senate, but what good is the grass if the horse is already dead?” Marquez said in Filipino over DZBB radio.

“That excise tax has long been discussed, yet not even a centavo has been provided. Even the fare hike was rescinded,” Marquez added.

Excise tax suspension up

Meanwhile, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) is scheduled to present to the President on 7 April its recommendations on the possible suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products amid the rising global oil prices.

Under Republic Act 12316, the President may suspend or reduce the excise tax on fuel for up to three months if the average Dubai crude oil price, based on the Mean of Platts Singapore, reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel for at least one month. The DBCC coordinates this with the Department of Energy.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed the DBCC would meet with the President to submit its proposal, emphasizing that the final decision rests with Marcos.

“The DBCC will have a meeting tomorrow with the President. Let us keep in mind that taxes are the lifeblood of the government, so we need to balance everything,” Castro told reporters.

Review Oil Deregulation Law

Marquez also urged the government to review the Oil Deregulation Law, which allows private oil companies to freely set prices without government regulation.

He noted that the rising fuel costs have forced many jeepney and tricycle drivers off the road.

“Nearly half of our drivers no longer drive, especially jeepney drivers. Even tricycle drivers that used to make trips refuse to operate because the only people profiting are the gasoline companies,” he said.

Marquez also criticized the uneven distribution of cash assistance by local government agencies. In one example, only 31 out of 168 drivers received subsidies following a screening process.

To address these challenges, Marquez announced a nationwide membership meeting on Wednesday to discuss a transport holiday in the coming days.

“It’s like a holiday — if the government is on holiday, we will also stop. Even if you operate, you won’t earn anything,” he said.