Thousands of Filipinos, including jeepney drivers, on Friday, embarked on a strike for the second day in a row to protest a chronic fuel shortage and the soaring cost of available fuel, as the war involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran drags on.

More than 90 per cent of fuel consumed in the Philippines passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route that Iran has reportedly disrupted amid tensions affecting global energy supplies following the assassination of its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, by U.S. and Israeli forces.

Aggrieved citizens declared a two-day strike to occupy major roads to press home their demands for a reduction in fuel prices and an increase in wages.

The strike comes days after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr declared an energy emergency, warning that the country was depleting its fuel reserves. Mr Marcos announced that the Philippines sought alternative sources of crude oil to ease the strain caused by the war.

On Thursday, Mr Marcos’ administration took delivery of 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil and reversed course, announcing that the shipment boosted crude supply and would sustain the country’s fuel needs till June.