Washington’s war on Iran has triggered a crippling fuel shock in the Philippines, sparking a mass transport strike and intensifying the political crisis of the US-backed Marcos regime.

What is most striking is that these are leading figures in the Marcos camp, and they appear to represent a growing faction that is profoundly concerned about the stability of ties with Washington under Trump and the perils—economic, social and geopolitical—that close relations with the White House entail. Lazaro has been the most consistent voice within the Marcos government for restraint in the South China Sea, warning against actions that could “unnecessarily derail the diplomatic space needed to manage tensions.” The Iran war has immensely substantiated her position—and that of every faction within the Philippine elite that calculates, correctly, that subordination to Washington’s reckless military adventurism is economically ruinous and potentially catastrophic.