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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
January 5, 2026 | 11:38am
Opponents of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demonstrate in Doral, Florida, on January 4, 2026.
AFP / Giorgio Viera
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines called for respect of international law and the rules-based order following a United States military strike on Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
"The Philippines views with concern the evolving events in Venezuela and its consequential impact on peace and stability in the region as well as on the rules-based international order," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Monday morning, January 5.
A callout of this nature for Manila carries weight: Washington is the only ally the Philippines has consistently turned to for years in its defense of the rules-based order in the South China Sea. The Trump administration's willingness to bypass international law in Venezuela — through actual use of force — has already raised alarm bells on how it may set a dangerous precedent elsewhere.
US forces launched what US President Donald Trump called "Operation Absolute Resolve" in the early hours of January 3, bombing targets in and around Caracas and deploying troops to capture Maduro and his wife. The Venezuelan leader now faces narco-terrorism charges in New York.
Trump declared the US would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," a statement that United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said sets "a dangerous precedent" regardless of Venezuela's internal situation.
The Philippine statement invoked the same principles of rules-based order that Manila has championed in its ongoing territorial disputes with Beijing — principles the US has previously supported in the South China Sea.
"While acknowledging the United States' underlying security considerations, the Philippines stresses the relevant principles of international law, including the independence and sovereign equality of states, the peaceful resolution of disputes, the prohibition against the threat or use of force, and non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states," the DFA said.
The department also reiterated its call for the concerned parties to adhere to international law and exercise restraint to prevent an escalation of conflict. It also called to "restore peace and order in Venezuela and promote the safety and well-being of all the people, including the Filipinos living in Venezuela and the surrounding countries."
Before the raid. The capture followed months of Trump administration pressure on Maduro's government over alleged drug trafficking and democratic backsliding.
In August, the administration doubled the bounty on Maduro to $50 million and deployed more than 4,500 sailors and Marines aboard warships to Venezuelan waters. Since September, US forces have struck at least 32 vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing about 115 people, based on reports.
In November, the Trump administration designated Maduro as head of a foreign terrorist organization, citing alleged links to drug cartels.
Maduro has faced narco-terrorism charges in the United States since 2020, when federal prosecutors accused him of partnering with Colombian rebel groups to flood the US with cocaine.
The operation proceeded without congressional authorization or advance notice to lawmakers, breaking with legal precedents that typically require congressional consent for military force. Trump said the administration feared Congress would leak plans for the operation.
