The Makabayan bloc is demanding Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) to hold an emergency session, saying that there's a lot of legislation that could be advanced to mitigate the impact of the fuel price crisis on Filipinos' lives.

"We are raising the call for an emergency session of both Houses of Congress to pass urgent pro-people legislation," said militant solons ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co in a statement Monday, March 23.

"The government must prioritize concrete, pro-people steps: remove unjust oil taxes including excise and VAT (value-added tax) on petroleum products; enforce real regulation and transparency to stop overpricing and profiteering; tax oil profits to fund subsidies and dismantle the failed Oil Deregulation Law framework that allows automatic pass-through and price manipulation," they said.

In a jab at the Marcos administration, the solons said: "Hindi sapat ang pa-press release at price checks habang malaya ang kartel na magtaas at magkamal (Press releases and price checks aren't enough if cartels can freely raise prices and rake in profits)."

Congress is current on its annual summer recess. The lawmakers won't convene again in plenary until May 4.

The trio also took exception to the pronouncements of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro, who said in a press conference Monday that there was no "crisis" as far as fuel supply is concerned.

Castro noted that what's actually happening is a "price disruption", and not a supply issue.

"There is nothing to gain from wordplay about 'adequate supply' while a price crisis is crushing people’s livelihoods. Malinaw ang krisis sa presyo, at krisis ito sa kabuhayan (Clearly there's a price crisis, and this is a crisis on livelihood)," the Makabayan said.

"We denounce the administration’s denial and lack of urgency. Downplaying the crisis encourages complacency, delays action, and pressures the public to treat worsening hardship as normal," the group added.

The bloc reckoned that the measures announced so far were grossly insufficient, especially for the transport sector and commuters. "Fuel hikes are already reducing the availability of mass transport, and the oil shock has further worsened commuting conditions."

"Officials should stop pretending the situation is under control and instead face the reality of stranded commuters, long queues, and the growing time and cost it takes just to get to work and back," the militant solons further said.