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(From left) Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Tito Sotto. ABS-CBN News/File

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Hontiveros calls for ceasefire in Middle East, Sotto urges 'close monitoring'

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<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/1772434411929composites5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left) Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Tito Sotto.<em> ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Monday called for a ceasefire, while Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto sought to ease public fears as tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.</p><p>Speaking to reporters, Hontiveros said all parties involved in the regional conflict should go back to the negotiating table.</p><p>“Kumbaga ang taas ng stakes for all countries in the world, kasama tayo (the Philippines), kaya ang urgent call din, ay bumalik sa negosasyon. May negosasyon ongoing... so urgent call, tigil putukan sa giyerang &#x27;yan, bumalik sa negosasyon at pilit na pagkasunduan &#x27;yong mga isyu na sabi ay dahilan daw kung bakit nangyayari ito,” Hontiveros said.</p><p>She urged to prioritize the security of those affected, including Filipinos, and to observe the rule of law.</p><p>Hontiveros also condoled with the family of Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera, a Filipino caregiver <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/1/pinay-caregiver-in-israel-killed-in-airstrike-marcos-jr-2117"><strong>who died</strong></a> in an airstrike in Israel.</p><p>“Taos-pusong pakikiramay doon sa pamilya nung kababayan nating caregiver na napatay sa Israel,” Hontiveros said. “Yakap mula sa amin dito sa Senado sa pamilya.”</p><p>“Sa napakarami pa nating mga kababayan na in harm&#x27;s way din, dahil doon nagtatrabaho, nakatira o maaaring nag-aaral sa Middle East eh sana po talaga ay i-activate pangunahin ng Department of Migrant Workers at saka Department of Foreign Affairs bukod sa alert level system, &#x27;yong paghahanda na kung may gustong magpa-repatriate ay makuha sila timely at ligtas na maiuwi dito sa ating bansa,” she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/2/no-mandatory-repatriation-yet-but-gov-t-preparing-to-assist-ofws-wanting-to-come-home-1347"><strong>READ: No mandatory repatriation yet but gov&#x27;t preparing to assist OFWs wanting to come home<br/></strong></a></div><p>She also asked for continuous help for Filipinos who will come home in terms of livelihood and reintegration.</p><p>Hontiveros, meanwhile, asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to have a comprehensive and long-term plan for energy security.</p><p>“Kasi hindi natin alam ganoong katagal tatagal ito. Hindi natin alam gaanong katagal din sarado ang Strait of Hormuz at immediate na impact noon na sisirit nga ang presyo ng halos lahat, kung hindi man lahat ng produkto at serbisyo hanggang dito sa ating bansa,” she said.</p><p>Hontiveros hopes the tension will not have a spillover on the Philippines, which is an ally of the United States.</p><p>Sotto, for his part, does not think there will be a spillover.</p><p>“Hindi naman siguro, medyo malayo naman tayo wala naman siguro tayong ika nga’y wala tayong masamang tinapay sa Iran. So hopefully not,” Sotto said.</p><p>Sotto advised Filipinos to not be &quot;too much worried&quot; about the situation and advised monitoring among government agencies.</p><p>“I don’t think we should be too much worried ika nga, nakakapag-create ng panic yun eh. So just close monitoring on the departments involved especially doon sa mga lugar na maraming mga kababayan tayo,”he said.</p><p>Asked if there should be a review of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country, Sotto said, “Siguro medyo may kalayuan naman tayo sa kanila pagdating sa parte na &#x27;yan. But then again, talaga namang we are reviewing already the possibility of the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) di ba? At iba pang kasunduan natin sa United States.”</p><p>Over the weekend, the US and Israel launched an attack against Iran, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/1/iranian-leader-ali-khamenei-reported-killed-in-us-israel-attack-0833"><strong>later killing</strong></a> its longtime supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Senators seek contingency measures</strong></div><p>On Monday, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chair Erwin Tulfo sought a tri-committee probe on the contingency plans of the government on the effects of the ongoing conflict of the United States and Israel against Iran.</p><p>He called on the Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Migrant Workers, and the Committee on Energy &quot;to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, to assess contingency measures to mitigate potential impacts of the ongoing armed conflict.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We must keep the welfare of Filipinos worldwide at the forefront of our national response,&quot; he stressed.</p><p>Senatoe Raffy Tulfo, who chairs the committee on Migrant Workers, backed the resolution of his brother.</p><p>&quot;Since yesterday, I have been in close coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and airline companies to ensure that all necessary contingency measures are fully operational,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;While we are hopeful that diplomatic efforts will prevent further escalation, I call on our OFWs to remain vigilant, stay in constant communication with the nearest Philippine diplomatic posts, and strictly follow local advisories and safety protocols.&quot; -- <strong>with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-XNr4iS2II?&amp;pp=ygUYTWlkZGxlIEVhc3QgYWJzLWNibiBuZXdz&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros called for a ceasefire, while Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto sought to ease public fears as tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.</p>

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros called for a ceasefire, while Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto sought to ease public fears as tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Hontiveros calls for ceasefire in Middle East; Sotto urges 'close monitoring'

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Hontiveros calls for ceasefire in Middle East; Sotto urges 'close monitoring'

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 02, 2026 03:27 PM PHT

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Updated March 02, 2026 06:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Risa Hontiveros

Tito Sotto

Middle East

conflict

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