Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, March 2 expressed hope that the tension in the Middle East brought about by the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran won’t spillover further to other countries that are allied with the US.

The Philippines, for one, has renewed its treaty relationship with the US, thus the need for the government to put in place precautionary measures.

“We really hope—each one of us hopes and prays—that it will not spill over. But right now, what happens in the Middle East or for that matter any part of the world, will really affect the whole world,” Hontiveros pointed out during a press briefing.

“We have renewed our treaty relationship with the U.S., I would like to say that on a more equal footing and we are building treaty relationships with other and more countries. But the stakes are high for all countries in the world including us, so the urgent call is also to return to negotiations,” she pointed out.

But the most urgent need right now is to call for a ceasefire, the senator stressed.

“So the urgent call: ceasefire in that war, return to negotiations and exert efforts to come to an agreement on the issues that are said to be the reason why this is happening,” Hontiveros said.

The lawmaker noted that just the day before the attack on Saturday, Feb. 28, the American government raised issues regarding Iran’s nuclear energy development program, “which the US government had said it would obliterate that capacity.”

But hours after the attack started, she noted that the US government is advocating regime change in Iran, especially after the US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“But whatever the real issues and the excuses are, just implement a ceasefire first, secure the safety of the growing number of people in danger, including our Filipino compatriots, return to negotiations. (There’s need to) restore the rule of international law,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero urged the government agencies to intensify coordinated protection measures for Filipinos across the Middle East.

Escudero noted there are more than 2.2 million Filipinos living and working in the region and the over 1,100 Filipinos currently in Iran who may be affected by the escalating tensions following recent strikes in and around Iranian territory.

Escudero pointed out that the sheer scale of Filipino presence in the region demands a response that is both urgent and anticipatory.

The senator pointed out advisories alone are not enough given the magnitude of the risk.

Escudero proposed the activation of a coordinated Middle East Crisis Command Center to consolidate real‑time monitoring, map out safe corridors, and pre‑position evacuation assets in friendly ports or airports.

This command center should be able to extend help to Filipino travelers who may be stranded in airports or transit hubs due to flight cancellations, ensuring they receive timely guidance, temporary support, and clear information on available routes or repatriation options.

“Such a mechanism is not alarmist but a necessary safeguard, especially for our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in high‑risk areas like Israel and Iran, where mobility may be restricted and communication lines may be disrupted,” he pointed out.