January 27, 2025, marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is worth remembering on this occasion that the Philippines was a haven for 1,200-1,300 Jews who had fled Nazi Germany. The archipelago admitted persecuted Jews when no other Asian country was willing to do so thanks to the efforts of then President Manuel Quezon. Some of their descendants still live here in the Philippines today. Furthermore, in 1947, the Philippines was the only country in Asia to vote in favor of UN Resolution 181 recommending the partition of Palestine and the establishment of the State of Israel as the homeland for the Jews. Since 1957, we have had excellent diplomatic relations with Israel, which have developed over time into a true friendship.
Andrew J. Masigan
October 7 Massacre
The massacre of October 7 was strongly felt in the Philippines, since also Filipino citizens were brutally murdered by Hamas. There were four Filipino civilians among the 1,200 people killed on that day: Paul Vincent Castelvi, Angelyn Aguirre, Loreta Alacre, and Grace Cabrera.
Paul Vincent Castelvi, 42 years old, worked as a caregiver in Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities most devastated during the October 7 massacre. His wife, Jovelle "Bell" Santiago, gave birth to their first child, for whom they had been waiting for many years, less than a month after he was murdered. The baby's name is Paul.
Angelyn Aguirre, 32, is remembered for her bravery, as she chose to stay with her elderly patient when Hamas gunmen attacked Kfar Aza. Aguirre, who had been married for just over a year, was the first confirmed Filipino fatality of the Hamas attacks.
Loreta Alacre, 49, was a Filipino caregiver living in Israel. She had been working in Israel for 17 years to support her family, especially the education of her nephews. She was supposed to return to the Philippines on December 13, 2023, to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Grace Cabrera, 45, was a Filipina caregiver in Kibbutz Be'eri, who courageously protected her 95-year-old patient. As reported by the media, Cabrera was likely taken captive by Hamas terrorists and later shot, her body dumped and only recovered on October 19, 2023.
Gelienor "Jimmy" Leano Pacheco, 33, a Filipino caregiver and father of three, was instead taken hostage to Gaza by Hamas terrorists. He was released in a deal alongside ten Thai nationals in November 2023.
As a response to the Hamas terrorist fighters storming Israel's southern border, brutally killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, the Israeli government launched a military campaign beginning with an aerial bombardment followed by a full-scale ground invasion. In the last 15 months, Israel has waged assaults by land, air, and sea to destroy the Hamas war infrastructure and neutralize its leadership.
On July 31, chairman of the Hamas political bureau and chief negotiator Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated with an explosive device in Tehran. On October 17, Israel also eliminated Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, who is said to have been the architect of the October 7 attacks.
Since then, Israel has proceeded to reduce much of Hamas's underground infrastructure to rubble. The group's weapons were destroyed or depleted while the great majority of its terrorist fighters were eliminated. But while all this was happening, Hamas waged a parallel war of disinformation. A worldwide campaign was launched to portray Israel as a perpetuator of genocide against the Palestinian people and to delegitimize Israel's right to exist. Israel was accused of disproportionate retaliation.
On January 28, 2025, the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines and the City Government of Quezon City commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Israel-Philippines Friendship Marker in Quezon City. During the solemn ceremony, we honored the memory of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust and reflected on the legacy of the late President Manuel L. Quezon, who opened the doors of the Philippines to Jewish refugees amid rising antisemitism and the threat of war. (Source: X.com/IsraelinPH)
(Source: Facebook.com/IsraelinPhilippines)
The four Filipinos victims killed by Hamas on October 7: Paul Vincent Castelvi, Loreta Alacre, Angelyn Aguirre, and Grace Cabrera.
A View From The Philippines
On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is right to remember that the State of Israel is fighting for its right to exist. I have followed the Israel-Hamas war from faraway Southeast Asia, and this is my take on the matter.
Let us not forget that, on October 7, it was Hamas who started this war by breaching Israel's borders and brutally slaughtering 1,200 innocent Israelis in the most sadistic way. Videos of the atrocities showed Hamas terrorists inflicting pain and death with much glee and pathological pleasure. They took 250 hostages and paraded them in the streets of Gaza as the Palestinian people cheered and jeered.
Hamas was on a mission, armed with a strategy that could only have been conceived in Hell. Their strategy involved the massacre of as many Israelis as possible, in the cruelest way possible and sequester as many hostages as possible – all to provoke Israel into war. They knew that Israel would respond with fury.
Intentionally building its war infrastructure beneath civilian installations like hospitals, schools, residential blocks and mosques, Hamas used a sick ploy to use civilians as shields of war. Hamas wanted to cause enough death and suffering – so much so that it could accuse Israel of genocide through a massive disinformation campaign. As the world viewed the Palestinians' plight with pity and indignation, Hamas correctly calculated that world leaders would pressure Israel to back off, allowing the terrorist group to regroup and rearm. With Israel's hands tied, Hamas could wage horrific attacks on Israel all over again.
I realized that for Hamas, civilian lives are disposable since death in war is deemed as an act of martyrdom. They believe martyrs are rewarded handsomely in the afterlife. Thus, Hamas has no problem sacrificing civilians on the altar of Jihad.
Following the October 7 attacks, Israel had two choices, both with disastrous consequences. The first was to do nothing. In which case, Hamas would get away with its brutal crimes and be free to commit them again. The second was to wage war on Hamas to disable them from executing such attacks again. After all, Hamas vowed to wage the same attacks on Israel until Israel ceases to exist.
Israel chose the second option. Aside from the need to neutralize Hamas capabilities, Israel also had the responsibility to do whatever was humanly possible to free the hostages. Attacking Hamas was the responsible and moral thing to do. Israel pursued its mission according to the rules of war. The IDF forewarned Palestinian citizens, through announcements and fliers, to vacate certain areas before they swooped in. Many Palestinians were saved thanks to these warnings. Yet, many still perished, and those who did were part of Hamas's grand scheme.
Regardless of the motives, strategies, and actions of both parties, the death of 42,000 civilians (the death toll given by Palestinian officials) is an absolute tragedy. I am convinced that the number of killed would have been zero if Hamas had not started this war in the first place.
So back to the basic question. Was Israel's response proportional given the circumstances? Is it justified for its actions? I say: Yes, it is justified. We must understand that Israel's response was not predicated solely on the October 7 attacks and the 1,200 deaths that resulted from it. It is a response borne out of the threat to annihilate the entire Jewish people.
Hamas showed the brutality it is capable of and the extent to which is willing to go to eliminate the Jews from the face of the earth. Israel's actions were appropriate in the context of this existential threat. Any responsible government would do the same. Meanwhile, the world breathed a sigh of relief as Israel agreed, with U.S. mediation, to Hamas's terms on a ceasefire in order to get its hostages back. For the time being, Hamas remains in power in Gaza.
*Andrew J. Masigan is the MEMRI China Media Studies Project Special Advisor. He is a Manila-based economist, businessman, and political columnist for The Philippine Star. Masigan's articles in MEMRI are also published in The Philippine Star. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan
