The group called on the Marcos administration to pursue a more independent foreign policy and prioritize peace initiatives.
By Marjuice Destinado
Bulatlat.com
CEBU – The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) urged the Philippine government to urgently assist Filipino migrant workers in West Asia following a US?Israeli attack on Iran, which has escalated regional tensions and triggered rising fuel prices and economic pressure in the Philippines.
In a statement released Sunday, March 8, 2026, ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy called on the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “pull out all stops” to assist OFWs who may be stranded or in danger in conflict-affected areas, including Israel, Lebanon, and Gulf states.
Murphy warned that the escalating conflict could endanger the roughly 2.44 million Filipinos working across West Asia, where large communities of OFWs are employed in domestic work, construction, healthcare, and service industries.
One Filipino worker has already reportedly been killed by missile fire in Israel, while at least 1,033 OFWs have been stranded due to the closure of regional airspace and repeated attacks on airports. He warned the number could rise as fighting continues and transportation routes remain restricted.
The warning comes as the Philippine government confirmed that about 1,400 OFWs across West Asia have already requested repatriation. Requests include 586 workers in Dubai, 297 in Israel, 270 in Abu Dhabi, 231 in Bahrain, and 22 in Jordan, according to figures cited by Marcos during a March 3 briefing.
Read: Migrants lay down their urgent demands amid ongoing war in West Asia
However, Marcos said repatriation remains extremely difficult because commercial flights have been suspended and some airports in the region have been struck by missiles.
“Here now is the problem. The problem is, there are no airplanes. And the airports are being hit,” Marcos said, explaining that both air and land evacuations currently pose serious risks in an active combat zone.
Murphy said the situation requires urgent contingency planning from the Philippine government, including chartered evacuation flights or military aircraft once airspace reopens, as well as financial aid, shelter, and emergency assistance for OFWs unable to leave conflict areas.
“The Marcos Jr administration should not rely on Trump statements that this war will be over soon. Instead, it should listen to the workers involved, and their families, and use charter flights or military aircraft to rescue Filipinos who need to get out of danger,” Murphy said. “The basic human rights to life, to food, shelter and health care must be honoured.”
Fuel shock
The crisis in West Asia is already affecting the Philippine economy as global oil prices surge, driven in large part by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that handles roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply. Attacks, security risks, and the effective paralysis of tanker traffic in the area have forced ships to halt or take longer routes, tightening supply and pushing global oil prices sharply higher.
In the Philippines, the spike in global prices has triggered one of the steepest weekly fuel increases in years, exposing the country’s vulnerability to global energy shocks. Starting March 10, gasoline prices are expected to rise by P7–P13 ($0.13–$0.23) per liter, diesel by P17.50–P24.25 ($0.31–$0.43), and kerosene by P32–P38.50 ($0.57–$0.69), according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
Read: How Trump’s Epic Fury in Iran impacts the Filipino poor
Consumer groups have raised alarm over the impact of the Philippines’ deregulated oil market, in place since the late 1990s, which allows retailers to set prices according to global rates. Critics say this leaves households and commuters to shoulder soaring costs, with limited government tools to intervene.
In a statement, independent think-tank IBON Foundation warned that rising oil prices threaten to further erode Filipinos’ already weak purchasing power.
“Many Filipinos’ meager incomes will not keep pace with the rising cost of living driven by higher fuel prices,” IBON said.
The P504 ($8.53) average nominal minimum wage across the country’s 17 regions already falls far short of the estimated P1,258 ($21.29) average family living wage as of February 2026, the group noted. This could rise further to P1,303 ($22) and up to P1,317 ($22.29) under the extreme inflation scenario, it added.
Calls for independent PH foreign policy
ICHRP also raised concerns about the Philippines’ involvement in US military logistics in the region. Murphy noted that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was reportedly deployed to the conflict zone after being refueled and resupplied in the Philippines.
Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes on US and Israeli-linked military targets across the region following the February 28 bombardment of Iranian territory.
While Iranian missiles cannot directly reach the Philippines, Murphy warned that US-linked military facilities abroad could potentially face retaliatory actions, including those connected to American military operations.
Read: Groups slam US-Israel attacks vs Iran, EDCA expansion in the Philippines
“In the event that the US goes to war against China – they are preparing to do this in 2027 – all its many military bases in the Philippines will be targets, as has happened with Iran targeting them in the Persian Gulf region. This obvious danger needs to be addressed urgently, to enable the Filipino people to exercise their basic human rights to life, peace and genuine development,” the ICHRP said.
The group called on the Marcos administration to pursue a more independent foreign policy and prioritize peace initiatives.
“ICHRP urges the Marcos Jr administration to extract itself from the US strategy for war with China, and hear the calls of Filipinos for an independent foreign policy,” said Murphy. “Instead, it should pursue the unfinished peace agenda first set out in the Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 for social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms that would not allow any foreign intervention and control.”
The organization also appealed to the international community to uphold international law and human rights as tensions escalate globally.
“ICHRP urges the whole international community to wake up to the danger exposed in the attack on Iran, and to stand together to uphold international law and the vital human rights of all peoples, including those in Palestine, Iran, and the Philippines,” Murphy added. (RTS, RVO)
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