MANILA — Transport group MANIBELA will hold a nationwide three-day strike from April 15 to April 17 to protest persistently high fuel prices, its chairperson Mar Valbuena said.

“Hanggang Biyernes, idinedeklara natin ang isang malaking transport strike kung saan magsasama-sama ang iba-ibang transport entities, ang MANIBELA at ang iba pang transport group,” Valbuena said in a press conference.

Valbuena said the protest is directed against what the group described as government inaction on rising fuel costs.

“Pagkondena ito sa kapabayaan ng pamahalaan, lalo na ng DOE at ng DOTr, at pakikipagsabwatan sa mga oil companies na nakinabang ng bilyong piso,” he said.

The group estimated that around 500,000 jeepneys and other public utility vehicles may participate in the strike. A protest action is also planned at Philcoa in Quezon City.

MANIBELA is calling for a rollback of fuel prices to P55 per liter, along with the suspension of value-added tax and excise tax on petroleum products.

“Dapat itong buwan na ito, itong linggo na ito, dapat nang i-roll back sa P55 ang presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo,” Valbuena said.

Over the weekend, the Department of Energy said diesel prices may go down by P20.89 per liter, gasoline by P4.43 per liter, and kerosene by P8.50 per liter this week.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, however, said fuel prices may no longer return to P60 per liter due to structural effects of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Palace says strike not timely

Malacañang said the planned transport strike is not appropriate amid global tensions, urging dialogue instead.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government believes negotiations are a better response to the situation.

“At sa atin po ngayon, sa ating palagay, ang pagho-hold ng transport strike ay hindi napapanahon sa ngayon. Hindi po ito makakatulong sa dinaranas po natin dulot ng krisis sa Middle East. Ang kinakailangan po lamang talaga dito ay negosasyon, pag-uusap, pagtutulungan,” she said.

Castro also addressed calls to suspend value-added tax on fuel, saying the President has no authority to do so without a law granting such power.

“Wala pong kapangyarihan ang Pangulo na mag-suspend ng VAT dahil wala pong batas sa ngayon na siya ay binibigyan ng kapangyarihan,” she said.

She reiterated that there is no legal basis for an executive suspension or reduction of VAT.

Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson earlier said suspending VAT on fuel could result in revenue losses exceeding P320 billion and requires further study due to its broader economic impact.