Vice President Sara Duterte called on Filipinos not to take sides in the ongoing Middle East conflict that is gripping the world in shock, and, instead, urged them to seek peace and end the escalating violence.

Vice President Sara Duterte speaks about the escalating Middle East conflict in a video message posted on her Facebook page. (Screenshot from Inday Sara Duterte)

In a video message posted on Facebook, the official raised concern on the violence in the Middle East, and its effects on the lives of innocent civilians, especially the children.

“Ako’y nanawagan sa aking mga kapwa Pilipino na ipahayag ang isang tigil putukan at dalhin ang usapin ng kapayapaan sa mesa (I am calling on my fellow Filipinos to declare a ceasefire and bring talks of peace to the table),” she said.

“Ating ipanawagan ang pagkakaisa ng mga partido upang maglabas ng kolektibong pananawagan para sa pangmatagalang kapayapaan at wakasan ang pagdurusa at kahirapan na nararanasan ng lahat ng sibilyan lalo na ang pangangalaga sa kapakanan ng mga bata (Let us call for unity between the parties to come out with a collective statement for lasting peace and end the suffering and difficulties being experienced by all civilians especially for the welfare of the children),” she added.

Duterte, who is also the country’s Education chief in a concurrent capacity, released the statement shortly after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that a fourth Filipino has died due to the violence that erupted between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas last week.

While the Vice President did not specify if she was referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict in this video, she expressed concern about the welfare of Filipinos in the region and lamented that their families would suffer as well because of the ongoing violence.

“Kaakibat nito binibigyang diin ko ang paghahanda ninyo, mga kababayan, ko sa posibleng kahirapan na dulot ng pandaigdigang kaguluhan (With this, I am emphasizing your readiness, my countrymen, for the possible hardships brought by the global conflict),” she said.

The Vice President stressed the need to ensure food security that the ongoing conflict will cause.

“Ang pagtindig para sa kapayapaan ay pagtindig para sa mga bata at sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa (Standing for peace is standing for the children and the future of our country),” she said.

The official highlighted the role that people play to push for peace by working with different sectors, countries, and the international community.

Her statement was a far-cry from the pro-Israel stance that the Marcos administration has taken.

On Oct. 11, President Marcos told Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss that the Philippines was standing with Israel in the conflict in Gaza.

A statement from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) read, “The President assured Ambassador Fluss that the Philippines will always stand with Israel in this war against the inhuman terrorist attacks by Hamas.”