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'Stop the war now': Filipino lawmakers call for dialogue, protection of civilians in Middle East
'The Philippines must uphold diplomacy, dialogue, and international cooperation as essential pillars of global peace and stability,' reads the resolution filed by Makabayan
- PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 5:01 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
Fifty members of the Philippine House of Representatives (HoR) signed a resolution on Wednesday calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians in the Middle East.
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The declaration also noted that the US-Israel-Iran war has contributed to sharp increases in global oil prices, which in turn lead to rising fuel costs, transportation fares, electricity prices, and the overall cost of basic goods and services.
The Philippines has registered the most drastic of oil price increases, reaching up to 177 per cent for diesel. It has reached out to non-traditional sources of oil products, such as Russia and Venezuela, to shore up its dwindling supply.
The Philippines has 2.4 million migrant workers in the Gulf region, thousands of whom have already requested repatriation by the Philippine government. A Filipina caregiver in Israel has died as a direct result of the conflict, while about 7,000 Filipino seafarers have been stranded in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since missile attacks started on February 28.
Authored by three progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan (Patriotic) bloc, House Resolution No. 909 calls for all "parties involved in ongoing conflicts to prioritise diplomacy, negotiations, and peaceful dialogue as the primary means of resolving disputes."
Both majority and minority blocs of the HoR signed the resolution.
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The resolution underscores: "The international community has a shared responsibility to prevent further escalation of violence and to pursue negotiations and peaceful solutions to conflicts. The Philippines, as part of the international community, must uphold diplomacy, dialogue, and international cooperation as essential pillars of global peace and stability,"
The resolution also specifically blames the US and Israel as “instigators” of the war and calls on both countries to “immediately cease hostilities."
An ally of both Washington and Tel Aviv, the Philippines was a US colony between 1899 and 1946, while it provided the swing vote for the recognition of Israel as a member of the United Nations in May 1949.