PH gov’t ready for any eventuality amid Middle East conflict – Palace

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran, June 18, 2025. (West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday allayed public fears amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, stressing that the government is prepared for all eventualities.

This assurance came amid social media posts suggesting that the situation is almost like the onset of World War III.

READ: Live Updates: Iran vows retaliation after US strikes

“What the President wants to convey is that we are ready for whatever may happen, and the government will respond to all the needs of the people,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro at a briefing when asked what President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s message to the public about the situation.

“And they should not worry because the government is working for all of us,” Castro added.

Meanwhile, several world leaders have already condemned the United States’ attack on three of Iran’s nuclear sites—including those from China, Lebanon, Venezuela and Cuba.

“The President, as well as the government, understands the concerns of leaders from various countries over the rising tensions in the region. The President is also calling for peaceful dialogue and diplomacy to ease the growing discord,” Castro said.

“There is also a need to stand up for global peace in order to strengthen the global community — that is the President’s message,” she added.

Following the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned against yet “another cycle of destruction” and retaliation, as reported by Agence France-Presse on June 23.

READ: UN chief warns of cycle of retaliation after US bombs Iran

“I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,” Guterres told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, as quoted in the report.

“The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation,” he also said. /gsg