Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17737138670211773713865464.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>A handout picture provided by the Iranian Army office on December 31, 2022, shows Iranian troops during a military drill in Makran beach on the Gulf of Oman, near the Hormuz Strait. Iranian Army office/AFP</p><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Department of National Defense said Tuesday it was incapable of heeding President Donald Trump’s call for US allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to reopen the vital waterway shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks.</p><p>“Wala tayong capability na mag-escort. Sa akin, moot eh. Moot and academic. Wala tayong capability mag-escort,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said.</p><p>“Ngunit lahat ng bagay na makatutulong, lalo na sa pagde-escalate, kasi ang nalalagay sa pangalib ang Filipino seafarers natin at mga OFW [overseas Filipino worker] natin,” he said in a chance interview in Laoac town in Pangasinan.</p><p>Trump has criticized the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/17/western-allies-push-back-on-trump-call-for-nato-help-to-reopen-hormuz-0056">lukewarm response to his call for world powers to send warships</a> to escort tankers through the strait, which normally carries a fifth of global crude oil, demanding a more enthusiastic response.</p><p>Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 percent as Iran attacks shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and launches waves of missile and drone strikes in the Gulf in retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.</p><p>The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where Israeli forces have carried out strikes and launched a &quot;limited&quot; ground incursion that Western leaders warned Monday should not become a large-scale operation.</p><p>Trump said he thought Britain and France would get involved in efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz -- but only reluctantly.</p><p>&quot;We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm,&quot; Trump told reporters at a White House event. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/15/iran-warns-against-wider-war-as-trump-asks-allies-to-escort-ships-2255">Iran warns against wider war as Trump asks allies to escort ships</a></div><p>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London was working with allies to craft a &quot;viable&quot; plan to reopen the strait, but ruled out a NATO mission, while Berlin also said it &quot;has been clear at all times that this war is not a matter for NATO&quot;.</p><p>Japan, Australia, Poland, Spain, Greece and Sweden also distanced themselves from any military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz.</p><p>EU foreign ministers discussed the war in Brussels on Monday but showed &quot;no appetite&quot; for extending their Red Sea naval mission to help reopen Hormuz, the bloc&#x27;s top diplomat said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/12/fear-boredom-for-philippine-sailors-stuck-in-hormuz-strait-1056">Fear, boredom for Philippine sailors stuck in Hormuz strait</a></div><p>Meanwhile, Teodoro said the Philippines was hoping for an early resolution to the tensions in the Middle East, citing the risks faced by Filipinos living and working in the region.</p><p>“We look to an early resolution of the crisis in the Middle East dahil unang-una, nalalagay sa panganib na ating mga kababayan,” Teodoro noted.</p><p>Teodoro led the medical and dental mission and oversaw the turnover of agricultural supplies and equipment for farmers and residents of Laoac.</p><p>He was joined by Laoac Mayor Ricardo Balderas during the activity.</p><p>Teodoro warned that escalating tensions in the Middle East could have economic repercussions back home, particularly for farmers who may face rising costs of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers.</p><p>“Katulad nga ngayon kaya minadali natin ito para matulungan natin ang mga magsasaka rito dahil aakyat ang presyo ng fertilizer at iba pang gastusin nila,” the official said.</p><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AcEQU9ypUg0" title="Ships told: Passage through Strait of Hormuz &#x27;forbidden&#x27; | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qrt6Ni202cM" title="Iranian supertanker with 2 million barrels of oil sails through Hormuz | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine Department of National Defense said Tuesday it was incapable of heeding President Donald Trump’s call for US allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to reopen the vital waterway shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks.</p>

The Philippine Department of National Defense said Tuesday it was incapable of heeding President Donald Trump’s call for US allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to reopen the vital waterway shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks.

Philippines incapable of escorting ships through Hormuz Strait, Teodoro says after Trump call

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Philippines incapable of escorting ships through Hormuz Strait, Teodoro says after Trump call

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 17, 2026 10:26 AM PHT

|

Updated Mar 17, 2026 10:41 AM PHT

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Philippines

US

Trump

Strait of Hormuz

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Israel

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Iran

OFW

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