Marcos urged to push for ceasefire in Gaza

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan president Renato Reyes is calling on President Marcos to utilize his visit to the United States to urge US President Joe Biden to initiate a ceasefire in Gaza and cease the support for Israel’s actions against the Palestinian population.

The appeal comes in response to the Philippines’ controversial abstention from the UN General Assembly vote addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a move deemed shameful by critics.

Reyes asserts that advocating for a ceasefire “is the least Marcos can do,” especially for Filipinos who are currently facing challenges in Gaza.

“It is the least he could do after the Philippine delegation’s shameful abstention in the UN General Assembly vote on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It’s the least he could do for Filipinos still trapped in Gaza,” he said in Filipino.

Noting the recent call by Indonesian President Widodo for Biden to support a ceasefire, Reyes questions why Marcos cannot do the same. He claimed that Marcos’ visit to the US is anticipated to be met with protests from the Filipino community and their allies.

Critics argue that the Philippine government, under Marcos’ leadership, is compromising the country’s interests by allowing US troops to establish bases and conduct military exercises in the Philippines.

“Marcos’ visit to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii is another shameless display of puppetry to US imperialist interests,” Reyes said.

Emphasizing that the US war machine has already caused devastation in Palestine, he expressed concern that the presence of the US military in East Asia may lead to similar consequences.