More than 400 Filipinos representing various sectors have signed on to a statement calling for an end to the US-Israel war on Iran, signaling the widening opposition to a war that threatens to reignite as the US-Iran negotiations get bogged down and the ceasefire ends this week.
We “express our strongest opposition to the ongoing wars of aggression being waged by the United States and Israel in Iran and Lebanon, on top of the genocidal war in Palestine. These wars have already brought immense suffering to civilians, devastated countless communities, brought the entire region into chaos, and threaten to plunge the global economy into crisis,” read the statement.
Among the signatories are four Roman Catholic bishops – Bp. Gerardo A. Alminaza of San Carlos, Bp. Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong, Broderick S. Pabillo of Taytay, and Euginius Longakit Cañete of Gumaca – and three national artists – Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music, Ricky Lee, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, and Prof. Gemino H. Abad, National Artist for Literature. More people are expected to sign on to the statement. The unity statement and list of initial signatories can be seen here – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Y7PmxKXJU/.
“The war on Iran and Palestine is an act of aggression that violates US domestic law, the UN Charter and international law. They reflect a broader pattern of intervention and coercion by a United States of America desperately seeking to maintain its geopolitical dominance, this time under Pres. Donald Trump. The same pattern is visible in its long-running economic blockade against Cuba, repeated intervention and destabilization of Venezuela, and the militarization of the South China Sea, where US-China rivalry threatens to turn our own region into another theater of conflict,” the statement read.
Aside from stoppingn the wars in Iran, Palestine and Lebanon, signatories also want Trump and Netanyahu held accountable for their war crimes in the International Criminal Court and similar tribunals, and are demanding the pull-out of all US military troops, weapons and facilities in EDCA sites and other US military facilities in the Philippines.
“The Filipino people know too well that wars of aggression and intervention are always paid for by ordinary people in terms of lives lost, economies shattered, and futures stolen. Now more than ever, the world’s peoples must choose just peace over unjust wars, diplomacy over militarism, and solidarity against imperialism,” they said.
Groups behind the statement will formally launch the “Stop the US-Israel War on Iran Campaign Network” at 10:00 a.m. on April 23, 2026, at the Bulwagang Tandang Sora, UP College of Social Work and Community Development, in Diliman, Quezon City.
The event will serve as a platform to establish the network, present its basis of unity and key calls, and initiate a broader movement for peace and solidarity. The program will feature a campaign presentation, a symbolic signing of the unity statement, cultural performances and discussions, and an open mic session for messages of solidarity and suggested action points.#