Several senators on Tuesday, March 24, said that the Philippines is already "facing a crisis "as it continues to grapple with the effects of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
This comes after the Palace maintained that the country is not currently experiencing an oil crisis.
During the Senate’s ad hoc committee, or Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee hearing on the government’s response to the Middle East situation, committee Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that the Senate believes the country is in crisis due to the impact of the Middle East war.
“Hanggang ngayon nagde-debate pa tayo kung nasa crisis tayo o hindi tayo nasa crisis. Para sa amin dito sa Senado, nasa crisis na tayo,“ he said.
Senator Loren Legarda emphasized the need for agencies to recognize the ongoing crisis, noting its impact on oil, food, and transportation costs.
“‘Wag na tayo lost in translation or nagmamaang-maangan na may krisis. Until we define it as a crisis, we will not act in record time to save our people,” Legarda said.
“So, each agency represented here must act as if we're in a crisis because we are in a crisis. Anybody who says, chill lang tayo, wala namang krisis. No. Halintulad ko sa climate crisis, not now,” she emphasized.
She added that failure to admit the crisis would slow government action affecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, as well as petroleum, energy, food, and transportation prices, displacing millions of Filipinos.
Meanwhile, Senator Bam Aquino said the country has been in crisis for almost a month since the US-Israel conflict with Iran erupted.
He urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to declare a state of national emergency to allow swift government intervention amid rising oil prices and surging costs of essential goods.
“Panahon na para magdeklara ng state of national emergency. Kailangan ng pamahalaan ng mas malawak na kapangyarihan upang agad-agad na matugunan ang krisis na ito,” Aquino said.
He added that under a state of emergency, measures could be implemented to regulate prices and ensure sufficient market supply. He also highlighted that the government has allocated P220 billion in the 2026 national budget for assistance to sectors such as transportation and small businesses.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito also stressed that the situation is not normal, pointing to rising oil prices caused by Middle East tensions.
“I agree with my colleague Senator Bam that we are already in crisis, hindi na po normal ang sitwasyon. And what we have to do right now is do the preparation just like during the COVID [pandemic] when there was uncertainty,” Ejercito said.
“Hindi po natin alam hanggang kailan at hanggang saan ang patutunguhan ng nangyayaring krisis na ito, kaya dapat ganoon din ang preparasyon na ginagawa ng mga ahensya,” he added.
“Our response must go beyond short-term relief. Ang ating mga kababayan ay nakatingin at umaasa sa atin. Ipakita po natin na may malinaw, mabilis, at konkretong aksyon tayo para sa kanila," the Senate Deputy Majority Leader continued.
In response, he called for the creation of an inter-agency task force, akin to the body formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure urgent and coordinated government action.
“Mainam po sana na sa gitna ng krisis ay agaran itong binubuo at kumikilos upang makapagbigay din ng agarang mga solusyon,” Ejercito stated.
“[The] situation is not normal. We are in crisis already! Creation of the task force or Crisis Committee should have been done right when the conflict started. Nonetheless, the formation of the committee now is still welcome,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to form a crisis committee, noting that it aligns with previous Senate initiatives for national preparedness.
He cited Senate Resolution No. 343, which he filed to encourage the Executive Branch to develop a clear National Contingency Framework and concrete plans for large-scale crises.
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Palace to acknowledge the gravity of the situation following sharp increases in petroleum prices.
“Dapat aminin na ng Malacañang: Gaano ba talaga kabigat ang sitwasyon? At ano na ba ang eksaktong plano ng gobyerno kung lumala pa ito?” she added.
“Hindi na sapat ang monitoring at pakiusap, kahit ang araw-araw na assurance mula sa Palasyo. Hindi lang naman sinusukat ng krisis na ito ang tibay ng ekonomiya. Ang sinusubok dito ay ang uri ng pamamahala,” Hontiveros said.
Earlier, the Palace clarified that the country is not facing an oil supply crisis. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Monday that while supply remains adequate, there may be price disruptions due to the ongoing oil crisis in the Middle East.
