Economist and former Misamis Oriental Governor Joey Pelaez warned that escalating fuel prices—marked by recent increases of up to ₱9 per liter for diesel and ₱5 per liter for gasoline—are driving up basic food costs.
Pelaez called on the executive branch to exercise emergency powers to temporarily suspend excise taxes of ₱10 per liter on gasoline and ₱6 per liter on diesel to cushion consumers against severe inflationary pressure.
