MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:18 p.m.) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has exempted the fuel subsidy program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from the public works ban before the May 2022 elections.
LTFRB earlier said it has suspended the distribution of fuel subsidies as it waits for the poll body's decision on its application to spare the program from the public works ban taking place from March 25 to May 8.
"We granted the petition of the LTFRB as regards to the fuel subsidy program," Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said in a briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
"However, the grant of the petition to LTFRB [is] subject to the strict implementation of the program for submission of information on how the project would be implemented, the parameters of implementation, and especially the specific target beneficiaries on how they will apply to avail of the grant of the programs," he added.
Garcia explained that government agencies, including the Agriculture department and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, must submit details on subsidies' distribution as well as information about the beneficiaries.
LTFRB's Executive Director Maria Kristina Cassion said some 110,287 beneficiaries have already received their subsidies as of end-March, according to a television interview on GMA News.
The public works ban, which happens ahead of the May 9 elections, prohibits government agencies from engaging in disbursement, spending and construction activities.
A certificate of exemption is needed to implement social welfare projects and services during the ban, according to Comelec Resolution No. 10747.
Aside from the LTFRB's petition, the Comelec also earlier granted the requests of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Social Welfare and Development from the public spending ban, based on a report from Inquirer.net.
Fuel prices have been increasing since the start of the year, and these were partly caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Although pump prices went down for the second time this year this week, the reductions are not enough to offset the sustained increases since the start of 2022.
Latest data based on the advisories of domestic oil firms shows that gasoline has risen to P16 per liter; diesel at P26 per liter; and kerosene at P24.1 per liter, as of this week.
The State earlier announced that it was doubling the fuel subsidies to P6.1 billion for affected groups in the transportation and agricultural sectors in hopes to helping them cope with the impacts of the high oil prices.
LTFRB says fuel subsidy distribution remains suspended
Cassion said Thursday that there are conditions which the agency must fulfill before it can resume its fuel subsidy distribution.
"We cannot respond accordingly to these conditions and we cannot resume, much as we want to already because we really want to finish the first tranche, so we can focus on the preparations for the second tranche," she told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino over Viber.
She did not give details of the unmet conditions.
Cassion said they are also still ironing out some disbursement details with Land Bank of the Philippines, whom they are working with to distribute cash assistance to beneficiaries.
Cassion added that they are thankful to the Comelec in coming up with a decision favoring operators and drivers.
— Angelica Y. Yang