After months of calling for a review on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), Senator Bam Aquino expects tomorrow’s Senate probe on TRAIN and inflation to produce tangible results, even look into the suspension of excise taxes.

“Sa aking pag-iikot sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, umaalma na ang taumbayan sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin. Napakatindi ng epekto ng TRAIN sa presyo ng bilihin na nagpapahirap sa ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam, one of the four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN law.

“We owe it to the Filipino people, especially the poor, to ensure that TRAIN is not making lives more difficult. We must look for immediate solutions, like the suspension of excise taxes,” Sen. Bam added.

Sen. Bam was referring to the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Act, which imposes P7 and P2.50 additional levy on gasoline and diesel, respectively.

“Umaalma na ang taumbayan sa presyo ng bilihin. Baka panahon nang ipasuspinde ang excise tax para mabawasan ang pasanin ng mga Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam.

As early as January, Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 597, urging the appropriate Senate committee to scrutinize the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure that it is sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

More recently, Sen. Bam also filed Senate Resolution No. 704, urging the appropriate Senate Committees to conduct an inquiry on the TRAIN’s inflationary impact and effect on the economy, particularly the P7 and P2.50 excise tax increase on gasoline and diesel, respectively.

The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, will conduct the hearing on the effects of TRAIN on the prices of goods and services and in the inflation rate, which reached a five-year high in April at 4.5 percent.