Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday urged President-elect Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., to suspend the implementation of excise tax on petroleum products, as he vowed to file a bill on the issue.

Pimentel made the call as the public continues to reel amid a series of oil price hikes and their effects on prices of basic commodities and services.

“Alisin natin (ang excise tax on fuel), kasi nakita natin talaga ang, napakahalaga ng papel or role ng petroleum products sa modern-day life eh. Wala tayong indigenous source or local source sa item na yan. So, huwag na nating dagdagan ang presyo sa item na yan,” Pimentel said.

He added: “We call on the suspension of the collection. Kasi pwedeng sa palagay natin, pwedeng executive action na yun. But at the same time, we will file now a bill removing excise tax on fuel, petroleum products, exempting from VAT the transactions involving petroleum products.”

Pimentel said the public’s sufferings should no longer be worsened by the excise tax on fuel, which, based on a progressive group’s computation, is around P16 per liter.

The scrapping of such obligation, which would result in revenue loss, can be replaced by “belt-tightening” on the government’s side, he said.

Belt-tightening means foregoing the government’s unnecessary expenses or obligations, Pimentel said.

“As a nation, I think we should really be open to belt-tightening. Alisin na yung mga tinatawag na vanity projects. Yung mga seminars na maraming ginagastos natin, i-review lahat sa budget. There’s some expenses there,” he said.

Pimentel said the realistic move to address the effects of more expensive fuel is for the government to slash the tax obligations attached to imported petroleum products.

“Yung contribution ng gobyerno o ng Republika ng Pilipinas sa presyo ng diesel at gasolina yun ang alisin natin. Kasi yun ang kontrolado natin eh… pag-landing sa Pilipinas pinapatawan na natin ng tax, duty, miscellaneous fee. Tapos may transaksyon iba-VAT. Tapos may second transaction another VAT, yun! Yun ang kontrolado natin, dun tayo tumingin,” said Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship.

Pimentel earlier met with progressive group leaders, former Bayan Muna congressman Neri Colmenares and ACT Party-list representative Antonio Tinio and Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes, for him to be able to get the “pulse” of the people.

The meeting centered on the public’s concern about oil price increases, inflation, and minimum wage, among others.

Information coming from the said group will be used as basis for the bills that he will file in the next Congress, the senator said.

Pimentel said he will also consult with the likes of IBON Foundation and Freedom from Debt Coalition for data gathering.

“Kasi kailangan nating ipakita yung perspective, yung pananaw, yung nararamdamang hirap ng mga common man. Siyempre yung mga progressive blocs sila yung pinakamalapit sa ating mga kababayan na minimum wage earners, mga unemployed, mga inaabuso. So, kumukuha po ako ng idea sa kanila,” Pimentel told reporters.

“Ang napag-usapan namin, kapag unrealistic na yung ating minimum wage in the different regions. Kunyari unrealistic na even dun sa highest rate Metro Manila kunyari. Unrealistic na for a family to live decently or with dignity, kailangan pumasok na ang Kongreso, for a legislated national minimum wage,” he added.

Pimentel fears an inflation rate running up to 8 percent or higher will likely happen if the government will not properly address petroleum price hikes.

The US government, according to Pimentel, should also exempt the Philippines’ from its sanctions against Russia.

“Kung pwede nga nating kausapin ang USA na kung mahal talaga nila ang Pilipinas, kaibigan tayo, at let us say nalalagay na sa alanganin ang survival ng ating bansa sa kahirapan na ng ating mga kababayan, i-allow na nila tayong kumuha ng oil sa Russia and do not sanction us,” he said.