PROGRESSIVE organizations in Cebu staged a protest Friday, June 27, calling for peace in the Middle East and expressing concern over what they view as the United States' involvement in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
The demonstration, organized by the Cebu chapters of Sanlakas, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), and Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), was part of a nationwide coordinated protest held in various parts of the country, including Manila.
Protesters marched along Osmeña Boulevard toward Colon Street, where they held a brief program carrying placards and banners that reflected their call for peace and criticism of foreign military involvement.
Sanlakas-Cebu Secretary General Teody Navea said their goal was to raise awareness about the perceived role of the US in escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. He cited U.S. military aid to Israel as a contributing factor to continued violence in the region.
"Pinaagi sa pag-fund sa US sa Israel, mas nisamot ang kagubot nga nagpadayon sa pagpatay og mga sibilyan," Navea said.
(The US funding of Israel, in our view, has intensified the conflict and led to the deaths of civilians.)
Navea also voiced concern about the Philippines' security cooperation with the United States through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), saying it could potentially draw the country into broader geopolitical tensions.
"Kasagran baya sa mga gipangbomba kay ang mga nay American military. In fact, naa baya tay US military bases," Navea said.
(Many of the areas targeted in international conflicts host American military facilities. We have US military presence here as well.)
PLM-Cebu Coordinator Victor Sumampong Jr. added that the conflict’s ripple effects are being felt economically, particularly through rising oil prices that may burden Filipino households.
“Sa pagsaka sa oil, automatic mosaka ang mga basic necessities. Mas mag-antos ang mga pobre,” Sumampong said.
(With the increase in oil prices, basic goods also become more expensive. This puts a heavier strain on the poor.)
Dennise Mabanag, a member of the fisherfolk sector from Talisay City, echoed this concern, saying that inflation linked to global conflict disproportionately affects vulnerable communities.
“When fuel prices rise, the cost of daily goods follows. It’s always the marginalized sectors that suffer the most,” Mabanag said in Cebuano.
The event ended with a “die-in protest,” where participants lay on the ground as a symbolic gesture to call for an end to the war and to foreign military intervention. Navea said the act was meant to express their sorrow and frustration over the current situation.
The groups also called for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel and urged the Philippine government to reevaluate its military and foreign relations with the United States. (John Mart Mabalhin, VSU Intern)