By MANILA, Philippines – Senator Loren Legarda said the government should not continue taxing fuel during a time of rising oil prices and then justify it as necessary to fund assistance, stressing that relief should come from lowering costs at the source rather than collecting more from the same crisis.
The Senator emphasized that the current situation is fundamentally a cost-driven crisis, with fuel prices directly affecting agriculture, transport, and the prices of basic goods.
“Ang VAT ay buwis sa pagkonsumo ng produkto. Pero kapag petrolyo ang pinapatawan ng VAT, nagiging buwis na rin ito sa pangangailangan dahil araw-araw itong ginagamit sa hanapbuhay at direktang nakaaapekto sa presyo ng mga bilihin. Pero sa taas ng presyo ngayon, hindi na lang konsumo ang binubuwisan, at kinikitaan ng pamahalaan, kundi pati ang hirap ng mamamayan,” she said.
