Militant groups staged a protest in Bacolod City on Tuesday, March 17, following the government’s announcement of a ₱1 fare hike for traditional jeepneys and a ₱2 increase for modern units amid soaring fuel prices.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Vigor Mendoza II said the adjustment raises the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys to ₱14, with a ₱2 charge for every succeeding kilometer.
Modern jeepney fares will rise to ₱17, with a ₱2.30 rate for every kilometer beyond the minimum.
The Department of Energy reported that diesel prices surged by ₱20.40 to ₱23.90 per liter, while gasoline rose by ₱12.90 to ₱16.60 on Tuesday.
Noli Rosales, Bayan Muna Negros secretary general, called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately remove the excise tax and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel products to ease the pump price hikes brought on by the Middle East conflict.
Rosales and members of militant groups held their protest near the flyover in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City, on Tuesday morning.
“The president should take decisive action immediately, fare hikes and aid to public utility vehicle drivers are not the solution,” Rosales said.
He dismissed the ₱5,000 government assistance to drivers as a “band-aid solution.”
Rosales added that fare hikes further burden commuters and workers whose salaries have remained stagnant.
He also urged the president to investigate potential cartels and hoarding among oil companies.
The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would give the president the power to suspend or reduce the excise taxes on petroleum products to temper the impact of the surging fuel prices.
Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III also said the House of Representatives has equipped the president with stronger policy tools to tame fuel price shocks.
The House approved on third and final reading two key measures aimed at protecting Filipinos from global oil market volatility, he said.
House Bill (HB) Nos. 8418 and 8469 authorize the President to temporarily suspend or reduce fuel excise taxes and suspend mandatory biofuel blending under the Biofuels Act of 2006.
These measures are intended to cushion the impact of global price spikes amid tensions in the Middle East, Dy said in a press statement.
“These measures give our President stronger and more flexible tools to protect Filipinos from fuel price shocks,” Dy added.*
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