Vol. VIII, No. 04 - February 28, 2026

Last February 28, US Imperialism and Israel Zionists massively attacked Iran using missiles and aircraft. Iran predictablý responded by raining missiles against Israel and 27 US military bases located in many countries in West Asia. The hostilities been escalating since then, reaching even as far as the Indian Ocean. These have not only brought untold hardships and danger to the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the region —one died in a missile raid-- but there is also rapid inflation in the Philippines brought by rising scarcity of oil products. More ominously, nine US bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and other US military installations are in danger of being attacked in the event of a hot war between US and China.

More than two million OFWs are in West Asia, also called Middle East. The region is the largest hub for Filipino workers worldwide. Their remittances contribute a large portion to the country’s economy. As the war rages in West Asia, the Philippine economy dependent on labor export migration is greatly affected.

Sectoral groups in the Philippines and abroad are calling for providing OFWs in West Asia with safe shelter and ensuring that lines of communication are open. They also call for speedy processing of documents and unconditional repatriation of them. At last count, about 1,000 migrants have expressed a desire to return home.

The Philippines imports 90% of its oil consumption, with a significant portion coming from West Asia, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of global oil flows. The monopoly capitalists, especially the big oil companies, have taken advantage of the war to drive up the prices of crude oil and refined oil. This will create a more serious crisis. As of this writing, the country is brazing for a huge increase in the price of oil products which will raise the prices of everything else with it.

Amidst its aggressive war against Iran, US Imperialism continues its malevolence in the Indo-Pacific region. It keeps inciting Taiwan to declare independence from China. It uses the Philippines to stockpile weapons, station its troops and mount war exercises to provoke China. These we must resist.

It is urgent for the Filipino people to build a broad united front against US war provocations. They should demand for the US and Philippine governments to dismantle all US military bases and facilities in the Philippines, remove missiles and other weapons stockpiled in secret locations, pull out US military troops and withdraw US ships from the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. The Filipino people must demand to abrogate all military treaties and agreements, including the EDCA, the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty.

On top of these, Filipinos must firmly demand independent foreign policy and freedom from foreign domination.

The US occupation and plunder of the Philippines, colluding with the local ruling class and using the AFP as an instrument of repression, is the main obstacle to the development of the Philippines and the cause of the suffering of the broad masses of the people. The Filipino people must fight for true freedom from US control and interference.

The revolutionary sectoral member organizations of the NDFP express solidarity with the freedom-loving people of Iran. We vehemently condemn the missile and aircraft attacks which are a gross assault on Iran’s sovereignty and violate universally accepted international laws