The Manila Times
SEN. Joel Villanueva is hopeful that the country's access to Middle East oil supply would alleviate the economic hardship of Filipinos caused by the United States-Israel war on Iran. The senator on Sunday lauded the Marcos government's effort in securing Iran's assurance for the safe passage of Philippine-flagged vessels and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz. Villanueva said this "diplomatic breakthrough" would "soften prevailing market prices that have sharply impacted the lives of our people." "In today’s world that has grown too comfortable with confrontation, the agreement between the Philippines and Iran proves that diplomacy still works," he said in a statement. Iran's move would "facilitate the delivery of critical oil and fertilizer supplies to the country," Sen Joseph Victor Ejercito said over the weekend. “This is a very welcome development! This will greatly help replenish our petroleum reserves. We recognize the efforts of President Marcos and the Department of Foreign Affairs in opening diplomatic channels on this matter," Ejercito said. Villanueva said "securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not just a foreign policy win." "It is direct relief for Filipinos who have been absorbing the cost of global instability for too long, and it is the result of exactly the kind of patient, principled diplomacy this region needs to ensure stability," he said. "It also means something immediate and personal for the tens of thousands of Filipino seafarers aboard vessels passing through the strait daily," Villanueva said. "Their safety was never separate from this negotiation, and it must never be treated as secondary to any other interest," he added. He thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro for seeking Iran's support to ease the Philippines' oil crisis. "We acknowledge Iran's role in this outcome as well." "We hope it is the beginning of a longer and more substantive conversation between our two nations," Villanueva said. Easter, he said, "is the season of hope made concrete, of conviction that broken situations can still be turned around." "That conviction showed up at the negotiating table this week. Our prayer is that its effects are felt quickly by every Filipino family that has been stretching too little to cover too much," Villanueva said.
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