Possible assistance being eyed to cushion rising fuel prices —Palace

Malacañang on Wednesday said the government is studying possible ways to help sectors affected by the increase in fuel prices amid continued tensions in the Middle East.

“Ang nais ng Pangulo ay walang maiwan, kailangang matulungan ang lahat sa tamang pamamaraan at sa balanseng pamamaraan. So, inaaral ito ngayon," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said at a palace briefing.

(The President wants no one to be left behind. Everyone who needs help should receive assistance in the proper and balanced way. The situation is now being studied.)

Asked about the request of transport group Pasang Masda to restore the additional P1 minimum fare increase that was suspended in March, Castro said the matter is also under review.

She said the government is looking at ways to provide assistance to the transport sector while ensuring that consumers are likewise protected from the impact of higher fuel prices.

US-ICC

Meanwhile, when asked about the United States’ recent pronouncement regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC), Castro said the government is studying its possible implications.

“Sa ngayon po ay pinag-aaralan ano ang maaaring maging epekto. Pinag-aaralan din naman kung ano ang magiging epekto nito sa pagpapatupad ng ating batas,” she said.

(For now, we are studying its possible effects. We are also studying how it may affect the implementation of our laws.)

The Trump administration is launching an effort to "dismantle" what it calls the threat to US sovereignty by the ICC.

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters earlier that a wide range of options is under consideration to target the ICC, including travel bans, visa revocations, increased sanctions against the ICC and affiliated organizations, and diplomatic pressure on other nations to withdraw from the ICC. —VAL, GMA News