Peace, Not War: A Call for the Welfare of OFWs and the Filipino People

Photo from DMW

Middle East Conflict Fuels Oil Price Hikes, Endangers Migrants

 

Oil companies are raising prices by over P5 per liter tomorrow due to escalating conflict in the Middle East, Partido Manggagawa (PM) calls for an immediate halt to the bombings by the United States and Israel in Iran, and a ceasefire in Gaza, in defense of the safety and welfare of Filipino migrant workers and the broader public.

 

“The world needs a war against poverty not a war of aggression by Bibi and Donald. This war is not just a distant conflict—it’s a crisis that reaches our dinner tables. As war rages on, fuel prices spike, remittances decline, and working families suffer the consequences,” said Lawrence Cusipag, one of PM’s spokespersons.

 

Over 200 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have requested return from Iran and Israel following the Department of Foreign Affairs' decision to raise the situation to Alert Level 3. Yet as they return, they face an economy plagued by low wages and rising prices.

 

The latest Israeli airstrikes on Iran have intensified regional instability and come on top of Israel’s continuing attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The United States has provided unwavering military and financial support to Israel, even vetoing multiple UN ceasefire resolutions.

 

PM emphasizes that the roots of the conflict lie in long-standing imperialist interests—particularly control over oil and other natural resources in the region. History shows this same pattern in the US invasion of Iraq and the demonization of Iran's nuclear program.

 

“The real fight is not between nations, but against poverty. War benefits only the powerful; it is the workers and the poor who pay the price,” argued Cusipag.

 

PM demands the following:

 

Guarantee decent jobs and reintegration support for returning OFWs

 

Stop US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran

 

Implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians

 

Advance peace, not war

Anti-war network condemns US veto of UN resolution calling for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza

 

The Network Opposed to War (NO TO WAR) strongly denounces the United States' veto of the UN Security Council resolution, which called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, in response to the UN Secretary General’s call under Article 99 of the Charter. This regrettable action occurred on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

The veto by the United States and the abstention of the United Kingdom effectively negated the 13 majority vote of the Security Council as well as the more than 90 countries, including the Philippines, which endorsed the resolution. 

 

NO TO WAR-Palestine Solidarity Pilipinas condemns these decisions, highlighting the blatant disregard for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as warned by the UN Secretary General, posing a threat to international peace and security.

 

The ongoing atrocities in Gaza, including daily massacres, displacement, and dehumanization of Palestinians, affect all, including doctors, journalists, and UN staff. The complete destruction of Gaza ensures a bleak future for its residents. It is deeply troubling that the United States and the United Kingdom openly support the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the oppressed Palestinian people, turning a blind eye to the violations of human rights and humanitarian law. Despite global condemnation, Israel continues to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 

In November of this year, the Philippines, along with 144 nations, condemned Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan. Unfortunately, this resolution was likewise opposed by seven countries, led by the US, UK, and Israel.

Given the apparent ineffectiveness of the international body, it is now imperative for the global community to uphold the will of free peoples worldwide.

 

NO TO WAR however believes that the increasing diplomatic isolation of the US, UK, and Israel is shaping a new global perspective on democracy and solidarity, particularly among the youth.

 

CEASEFIRE NOW! Stop the Genocide! Demand accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity now!

 

PRESS STATEMENT

NO TO WAR

Network Opposed to War

10 December 2023

PHILIPPINE GROUPS FORM ANTI-WAR NETWORK: Call for Permanent Ceasefire, End to Genocide in Gaza

 

 We, the Philippine groups representing various interests and advocacies, including those on human rights, labor, women, youth, urban poor, Moro and IPs, environment, and political parties, form ourselves today into NO TO WAR network in solidarity with the world’s people who are suffering from the devastating impacts of ongoing conflicts and in preventing the slide of other conflicts into new wars, including those in Asia and possibly in the Philippines.

 

As an anti-war network, we are campaigning for peace with justice and will continue to oppose the ruling establishment's inclination toward war, militarization, colonization, and destruction, both of humanity and the environment.

 

In solidarity with the Palestinian people, we join the international community in calling for a permanent ceasefire, a stop to genocide in Gaza, and an end to Israeli occupation.  Words cannot adequately convey the horrors of war being experienced by the Palestinians from the endless airstrikes and ground raids carried out by Israel. There must be a stop to this genocide and human suffering!

 

We advocate for an unconditional and permanent ceasefire because we believe this is the critical first step towards de-escalation, facilitating humanitarian aid, and creating a conducive environment for brokering negotiations and dialogues. Without a a permanent ceasefire, sparks of violence will only lead to the escalation of further violence.

 

The international community, especially the free countries within the United Nations, must step up to address the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They should redouble their efforts to find diplomatic and political solutions to the Palestine-Israel conflict and cease support for Israel’s campaign of siege and genocide in Gaza by halting aid from the US and other western powers.

 

As a contribution to the growing peace and anti-war movement across the globe, the Philippines’ NO TO WAR network will be holding a series of activities ranging from teach-ins, physical and online fora, as well as direct actions to amplify our cause.

 

In particular, in addition to its obligation to secure Filipinos on both sides, including the safe release of the remaining Filipino hostages in Gaza, we urge the Philippine government to support the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire and the creation of free corridors for humanitarian aid. In the 1930s, when many other countries refused to take in Holocaust refugees, our nation welcomed 1,200 Jewish individuals from Shanghai, China, ensuring their safety from the genocide perpetrated by

Nazi Germany. In a similar manner, we implore the Philippine government not to abstain and, once again, to stand against genocide—this time, by calling on Israel for a permanent ceasefire.

 

On November 30, the NO TO WAR network will link up with Nagkaisa Labor Coalition in commemorating Andres Bonifacio's day. Bonifacio, alongside fellow Katipuneros and Katipuneras, led the revolutionary resistance against Spanish colonialism. Members of NO TO WAR collectively believe that the historical legacy of colonialism, occupation, and militarism has perpetuated conflicts throughout modern times. Therefore, our opposition remains against militarization and the imposition of unjust policies by foreign powers in our country.

 

NO TO WAR will also be part of the human rights community in celebrating Human Rights Week at the start of December.

 

Access photos of launching here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xdTDQQmgzbQ-4MmSiXVsy4Vi2vhoLIYy

 

NO TO WAR network is composed of the following organizations:

 

Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Karapatang Pantao

Amnesty International Philippines

Anak Mindanao-Youth

Bangsa

Coalition Against Human Trafficking of Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP)

Dakila

Federation of Free Workers

Focus on the Global South

KAGULONG

IIRE-Manila

In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (IDefend)

Laban Kababaihan

LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights)

MINDANOW

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

National Federation of Labor

Partido Manggagawa (PM)

Public Services Labor Independent Confederation

Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO)

Tara Kabataan

United Filipino Service Workers

United Muslim Alliance for Development (UMA DEV)

World March of Women - Pilipinas

PRESS STATEMENT

NO TO WAR

28 November 2023

“War is violence against women”—feminist groups in the Philippines

 

On the first day of a 18-day global campaign to end violence against women, feminist groups in the Philippines highlighted the call for a permanent ceasefire as a step towards a permanent solution to the question of Palestine.

 

“War is violence against women. It is as clear as day in the ongoing hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas that women are disproportionately victimized in war. The history of conflicts reveals this ugly truth. Thus, we call for a stop to the war in Palestine and elsewhere. And demand a just peace,” argued Judy Ann Miranda, secretary general of Partido Manggagawa (PM). PM is among the groups that participated in today’s activity.

 

A hundred women leaders from various organizations that comprise the World March of Women-Pilipinas marched to the grounds of the Commission of Human Rights today for a rousing and festive program to launch the violence against women campaign. Community assemblies in several working class areas in Metro Manila followed later in the day.

 

The launch of the campaign served as an opportunity for women to raise the urgent call for solidarity to the people of Palestine. In the statement released for the event, the World March of Women-Pilipinas, stated that “Israeli forces through persistent bombings on Palestinian communities, kill[ed] more than 14,000 Palestinians. Most hurt were women and children, as hospitals were also bombed. World March of Women members in Palestine were [also among those] attacked.”

 

“The so-called humanitarian pause should give way to a sustained ceasefire in both Gaza and the West Back. A permanent ceasefire then enables political negotiations to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine,” Miranda explained. The women’s groups’ call for solidarity with Palestine is part of a sustained advocacy by social movements, trade unions, human rights organizations and grassroots communities in the Philippines.

 

Next week, on November 30, which is a traditional day of mobilization for workers in the Philippines, trade unions along with other civil society groups will also underscore the demand for a permanent ceasefire and a stop to the genocide in Palestine. Today, a rally is being held in Manila by Muslim and Christian organizations together with progressive groups. The mobilization is billed as a march for peace and justice in Palestine.

 

All these solidarity actions build upon earlier activities by numerous organizations in different parts of the country, including in the southern island of Mindanao which has a substantial Muslim population. Among those actions was a rally outside the Catholic Church in Manila last November 4 which was a local response to the call by the International People’s Assembly for a global day of action for Palestine.

 

“The drums of war are beating so hard that they are not only deafening but are inciting harm and violence against women,” according to the World March of Women-Pilipinas. It added  that “Historically, women and children suffer the most during war in the form of hunger, sexual assault, physical violence including unjust imprisonment as hostages of warring parties, loss of home and of family members.”

 

Miranda averred that “Women also do not want to be caught in the middle of the US and China conflict. We call for a peaceful solution to the West Philippine Sea issue. Through negotiations among the claimants, we want to guarantee the right of fishers, Filipinos and other nationalities, to gainful livelihood in what should be treated as common fishing grounds.”

 

Tensions in the South China Sea are escalating with the United States forming various military alliances such as the Quad and the AUKUS in a bid to contain China and maintain control over the busy shipping lanes in the region. The Quad is an alliance between the US, Japan, Australia and India while AUKUS unites Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

 

Recently the US has avowed that it will respond to an attack on Philippine ships in the disputed sea according to terms of a mutual defense treaty. Meanwhile, talks are ongoing for a visiting forces agreement with Japan.

 

The threats of war in the South China Sea has become a convenient pretext for an influx of the American soldiers and weapons to the Philippines. In 1991, US military bases in the country were kicked out in the culmination of a long struggle led by progressive movements to assert national sovereignty and an independent foreign policy. However, the war on terror opened the door for the return of the American military as so-called “visiting forces.”

 

The feminist groups recalled that prostitution and abuse of women and girls flourished around the sites of the former US military bases in the Philippines. Since the return of US troops in the country, they have been involved in two separate incidents involving the rape of a woman and the murder of a trans. All of the accused soldiers are now back in America after controversial decisions of acquittal or pardon.

November 25, 2023

Ceasefire now and humanitarian aid to Gaza towards an end to Israeli occupation

 

We join the majority of the United Nations and the peoples of the world in campaigning for peace and in calling for an immediate ceasefire to the armed conflict in Gaza to pave the way for a negotiated, internationally brokered political solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

 

By means of war, Israel has dispossessed the Palestinians of their right to existence as a free nation, with their territories effectively occupied and ghettoized by Israeli forces since the Nakba of 1948. This horrific condition suffered continuously by the Palestinian people was made possible with the imposition of unimaginable forms of repression, including killings and an unjust economic embargo, while the Israeli government continues to enjoy massive military and economic assistance from the US and other Western powers.

 

The retaliatory campaign by Israel to completely siege Gaza by cutting off food, water, and electricity supplies to annihilate “subhuman” Palestinians is not simply out of bounds but is downright genocide that needs to be opposed to avert a colossal humanitarian crisis.

 

We continue to emphasize that the only solution we see for peace to finally reign in this region is for the peoples of the world, along with institutions such as the United Nations, to campaign for an end to Israel’s occupation and continued land grabbing in Palestinian territories, and to guarantee the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

 

The Philippines maintains diplomatic relations with Palestine since 1989, thus working for freedom and peace and preserving mutual respect with each other as independent nations will work better than being torn apart by geo-political alignments and other relations dictated by big powers.

 

However, we find the vote of abstention to the UN ceasefire resolution by the Philippine government politically reprehensible since a “no position” stand in the face of a glaring state of genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza works in favor of imperialist powers who seek for the total extermination of any Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.

 

We therefore demand that the Philippine government reverse its stand in favor of the UN ceasefire resolution as this is the most urgent need at the moment to stop further loss of lives and destruction, facilitate global humanitarian aid to Gaza, and formulate a workable and just solution to end the war.

 

We likewise call on the Philippine government to exert all efforts to determine the actual condition and secure the safe release and repatriation of Filipinos who reportedly went missing or have been killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas. At least 30,000 Filipinos live in Israel, and 100 live in Gaza Strip, according to reports.

 

STOP THE WAR ON GAZA!

CEASEFIRE AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA!

END ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF GAZA AND WESTBANK!

FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE!

November 4, 2023

Partido Manggagawa 

An immediate ceasefire, delivery of humanitarian aid and an end to Israeli occupation

 

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) joins the majority of the United Nations and the peoples of the world in campaigning for peace and to call for an immediate ceasefire to the armed conflict in Gaza to pave the way for a negotiated, internationally brokered political solution to resolve the question of Palestine.

 

By means of war, Israel has dispossessed the Palestinians of their right to existence as a free country, with their territories effectively occupied and ghettoized by Israeli forces since the Nakba of 1948. And this horrific condition suffered continuously by the Palestinian people was also made possible with the imposition of unimaginable forms of repression, including killings and an unjust economic embargo, while the Israeli government continues to enjoy massive military and economic assistance from the US and other Western powers.

 

The retaliatory campaign to completely siege Gaza by cutting off food, water, and electricity supplies to annihilate “subhuman” Palestinians is not simply out of bounds but is downright genocide that needs to be opposed to avert a colossal humanitarian crisis.

 

We continue to emphasize that the only solution we see for peace to finally reign in this region is for the peoples of the world, along with institutions such as the United Nations, to campaign for an end Israel’s occupation and its continued land grabbing in Palestinian territories, and to guarantee the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.  We believe that this kind of international process can gain momentum if both the Palestinians, the Israeli people, and the whole world demand peace rather than each other’s annihilation under a condition of perpetual war.

 

We also learned from news reports that some Filipinos went missing or have been killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas. We call on the Philippine government to exert all efforts to determine their actual condition and secure their safe release and repatriation.

 

The Philippines maintains diplomatic relations with Palestine since 1989, thus, working for freedom and peace and preserving mutual respect with each other as independent nations will work better than being torn apart by geo-political alignment and other relations dictated by big powers.

October 12, 2023

Statement on the War in Ukraine

 

No to Putin’s war in Ukraine!

No to NATO military intervention!

Humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees!

Solidarity with the anti-war protests in Russia!

 

Partido Manggagawa (Workers Party-Philippines) denounces the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military and the Putin regime. There is no valid reason for Russia to invade and annex Ukraine which is a sovereign country. The alibis asserted by Putin are baseless. It thinly masks its expansionist desires and imperialist aims.

 

We support the anti-war protests in Russia against the invasion of Ukraine. It is through the development of a broad anti-war movement inside and outside Russia that peace can be achieved.

 

In this respect, we oppose the call for military intervention by Western countries under NATO against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. A military confrontation between NATO and Russia is a recipe for disaster if not another world war. Such a scenario brings the world to the abyss of nuclear war.

 

In fact, NATO’s own expansionist aims to extend its membership eastward to Ukraine and the very borders of Russia gave Putin a convenient pretext for the invasion. Even as we condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we do not condone NATO’s expansionism. It is entirely hypocritical for Biden to slam Putin when the US has its own bloody history of direct invasion, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Grenada, and proxy wars in Africa, and Central and Latin America.

 

We call for extending humanitarian assistance to civilian refugees from the war in Ukraine. We too support solidarity actions by trade unions and labor movements to end the war in Ukraine. The refusal of airport workers in Pisa, Italy to load arms destined for Ukraine is an exemplary action that continues the tradition of the proletarian solidarity against Israel’s occupation of Palestine and siege of Gaza.

 

In the Philippines, we work for awareness raising among organized and unorganized workers for an anti-war position on the basis of working-class internationalism.

 

Partido Manggagawa

National Executive Committee

End US and Israel’s war of aggression against oppressed nations

Statement on Israel’s Occupation of Palestine
6 January 2009

The Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party-Philippines) joins the global call and campaign in stopping and opposing Israel’s brutal war of aggression against the Palestinian people.

The party is equally indignant over the indisposed stance of powerful nations, particularly the US, which eventually led to the shameful failure of the UN system to stop or prevent Israel’s bloody occupation of the Gaza Strip. The US government in particular should also be held responsible for its unconditional support for the aggressor party by providing Israel not only with modern weapons but also with the sanction to go for unilateral action, like what it did in Iraq.

During this time of severe global economic crisis, wars mainly serve the expansionist agenda of imperialist nations not the economic need of the oppressed, jobless and hungry people. The Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghans, the Africans, Asians, Europeans -- or the world’s peoples had had enough of wars. Amid the crisis, workers and poor people need no tanks and missiles but land and factories to work, not bullets but food, not destructive arms but public goods.

The mounting body count and pictures of destructions show the horrendous nature of this war. The Palestinian people are clearly suffering not from the wrath of a resentful and jealous god but from the evil deed of its neighbor which want another piece of land to grab. Thus, resisting and opposing past and present Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands is a legitimate struggle workers around the world must recognize and support.

The aggression must be stopped and freedom be restored for Palestinian people. End the mass murder! Stop aerial and ground assaults against the Hamas and the civilian population. Israeli blockades must also be lifted to facilitate entry of medical and food supplies for the victims of war.

To end the escalation of war, further loss of lives and destruction, we demand the pullout of Israeli troops from the Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories and that Israel submit to international call for an immediate ceasefire.

Moreover, we also demand to the Philippine government to issue an official position opposing the war. While the interest of Filipinos in Palestine is a paramount concern, and for that matter the government must act with dispatch, expressing official government position or wisdom against the war, either in a bilateral or multilateral way or thru the UN system, would serve the best interest of our OFWs in particular, and the world peace in general.