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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippines stops short of acknowledging Gaza genocide

Philippines stops short of acknowledging Gaza genocide

Published Sep 2, 2025 07:08 pm

At A Glance

  • The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, Sept. 2, ​stopped short of actually recognizing there is an alleged genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza as the country's top diplomat cited the welfare of the many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the area.
DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro (Photo from DFA)
DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro (Photo from DFA)
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, Sept. 2, ​stopped short of actually recognizing there is an alleged genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza as the country’s top diplomat cited the welfare of the many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the area.
During House  Committee on Appropriations hearing for the agency’s budget next year, DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro was pressed by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio regarding the country’s position on Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza, which have reportedly killed many Palestinians, including children.
​Lazaro was even reminded of an existing arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes against humanity in a case filed by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in which the Philippines is a member of.
"Has the Philippines taken a stand to condemn this genocide?" Tinio asked.
Lazaro said the Philippines recognized the existing case of genocide filed by South Africa against Israel before the ICJ.
"This is something that we are really thinking very seriously," she said. However, Lazaro stopped short of affirming Tinio's reference of Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
On Monday, Sept. 1, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world's leading association of genocide scholars, passed a resolution, declaring that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza as it has met the legal definition laid out in the UN convention on genocide.
"We do also have diplomatic relations with Israel," Lazaro said as the reason for her lack of acknowledgement.
"And we have about 300,000 Filipinos in Israel. In other words, the [DFA] is thinking on a holistic basis," Lazaro added.
​Lazaro explained that the Philippines wouldn't just ​automatically acknowledge and condemn Israel's actions in Gaza, "because there​'s this situation​".
​"We also look into the number of ​Filipinos , who may be or may not ​be affected," she said.
Nevertheless, the country's top diplomat maintained that the Philippines "has always supported Palestine" in almost all resolutions on the Palestinian issue.
In fact, she said, the Philippines is one of the first—if not the first—countries in Southeast Asia to have a Palestinian Embassy.
"That is something that we're very proud of," she said.
"And we made a position just about a week or two weeks ago that we will continue to support the two-state solution, consistent with the UN resolutions that have been passed and the only viable path toward a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region," she added.
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