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Quezon City.-- The continued rise in fuel prices is placing an unbearable burden on the Filipino people, driving up the cost of transportation, food, electricity, and other basic goods. Left unchecked, these increases will deepen inequality and further erode the already fragile purchasing power of low- and middle-income households.Government cannot afford to rely solely on market forces in a time of crisis. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆—but it must be 𝙙𝙚�

The proposal of the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to temporarily suspend the excise tax on petroleum products in response to rising oil prices will have only limited impact and does not address the root causes of the country’s oil price crisis, according to Prof. Roland Simbulan, Chairperson and Fellow of the think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG). Simbulan explained that while the proposed suspension is being presented as an imm

Center for People Empowerment and Governance (CenPEG)Comprehensive Analysis, February 2026 Synthesis This paper aims to analyze the Philippines' precarious position in early 2026 as it navigates a domestic political crisis and a high-risk alignment with U.S.’ "aggressive unilateralism." While the Marcos administration faces a "governance-induced paralysis" fueled by a ₱805-billion corruption scandal and a "popularity flip" favoring the resurgent Duterte bloc, the nation h

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) today called on the government to take decisive action to cushion the impact of rising oil prices, emphasizing that any state intervention must prioritize the country’s most vulnerable sectors. In a statement, CenPEG said that while market forces play a role in determining fuel prices, the government cannot remain passive when price shocks threaten the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos. “If government chooses not

Think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) today expressed serious concern over what it described as a “very weak and watered-down” version of the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Bill currently being deliberated in Congress. CenPEG Chairperson Roland G. Simbulan criticized the measure for merely prohibiting multiple family members from occupying government posts at the same time or within the same term, while still allowing political clans to maintain p

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) today issued a statement following the confirmation of charges by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with alleged crimes linked to the government’s so-called “war on drugs.” CenPEG emphasized that the ICC’s confirmation of charges is a procedural legal determination that there are sufficient grounds for the case to proceed to trial. It is not a conviction, but it si

Uphold International Law: Stop Wars of Aggression and Defend the Palestinian People The think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses grave concern over the continuing wars of aggression in the Middle East, particularly the United States-backed Israeli military assault on Palestine that has triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis and widespread civilian suffering. The overwhelming majority of the international community has repeatedly affirm

Widening power rifts in Philippine politics as the 2028 elections are in the horizon; corruption deepens; tensions grow in East Asia while Donald Trump attacks Venezuela in a bid to reinstall America’s sphere of influence in the western hemisphere I. PHILIPPINE POLITICS Corruption, Accountability, and the Marcos-Duterte Rift Breakdown of the Marcos Jr.-Sara Duterte dynastic alliance The Marcos-Duterte entente has collapsed, one-and-a half years since the unravelin

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses grave concern over the President’s decision to sign into law the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) based on the ratified Bicameral Conference Committee (Bicam) version without removing or substantially correcting the highly questionable lump-sum and discretionary appropriations embedded in the final budget. Despite widespread public criticism and repeated warnings from economists, civil society groups, a