DRIVERS and commuters staged a “Kalbaryo sang Pumuluyo” protest on Holy Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Iloilo City to oppose rising oil prices and denounce what they described as government inaction on calls to scrap the oil deregulation law and impose price controls on petroleum products.
Elmer Forro, secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), reiterated during the protest’s culmination at Jaro Plaza the demand to remove taxes on fuel, saying the group continues to push to “scrap excise tax and value-added tax on fuel,” while a jeepney driver plying the Timawa route urged authorities to act and “stop further US imperialist attacks on resource-rich nations.”
Protesters, composed of transport drivers and commuters, gathered at several fuel stations in Barangay Jaro, including Petron, Caltex, and Shell, where they dramatized the impact of oil price hikes on ordinary Filipinos.
One jeepney driver carried a wooden black cross while being whipped by individuals portraying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and United States President Donald Trump, symbolizing what they described as the burden borne by the public.
Participants wore black paper chains to depict the hardship caused by rising fuel costs on the transport sector and the working class.
The group also recited the seven last words of Jesus Christ, reflecting on what they said were parallels between the religious observance and the country’s current socio-economic situation.
According to the protesters, the continued increase in fuel prices has intensified financial strain on drivers and commuters, particularly affecting daily transportation expenses and income. They said the demonstration aimed to highlight the need for immediate government intervention to ease the burden on the public.
The protest also included calls to end what organizers described as the United States’ war of aggression against Iran, which they said has lasted for more than a month and threatens global oil supply stability.
Protesters claimed that the ongoing conflict contributes to volatility in fuel prices, further affecting countries dependent on oil imports like the Philippines.
The activity concluded at Jaro Plaza, where organizers reiterated their demands for policy reforms, including the removal of fuel taxes and stronger government regulation of oil prices.
They emphasized that without decisive action, rising fuel costs will continue to impact the livelihoods of drivers and the daily expenses of commuters.
The “Kalbaryo sang Pumuluyo” protest highlighted the concerns of the transport sector and underscored calls for government measures to address the effects of oil price increases on the Filipino public. (Leo Solinap)