Following the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Philippine senators dismissed potential economic impacts but cautioned that the intervention could encourage aggressive actions by powers like China and Russia, affecting regional disputes including the South China Sea.
This comes after the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs urged restraint on January 5, and amid earlier lawmaker condemnations highlighting threats to the rules-based order and the country's position against China.
At a Senate press briefing on January 7, 2026, Senate finance committee chair Sherwin Gatchalian noted modest trade ties with Venezuela. "Economically there is no impact, because we have little historical trade with Venezuela," he said, adding that global oil prices are unlikely to fluctuate due to Venezuela's underutilized reserves.
Gatchalian raised geopolitical alarms, warning that the US-led regime change could inspire other nations. He referenced Russia's Ukraine invasion and China's South China Sea claims overlapping the West Philippine Sea, plus potential Taiwan tensions. "Other countries might be emboldened to do what the US did—a regime change by force that is not done by election. From a geopolitical standpoint, it’s another uncertainty. It’s not good for us."
Senate foreign relations committee chair Imee Marcos labeled the US action a breach of international law, quoting UN Charter Article 2, Section 4 against the use of force violating territorial integrity. She criticized the DFA's "meek" response and drew parallels to her family's 1986 exile after her father Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s regime fell.
