𝗖𝗲𝗻𝗣𝗘𝗚 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗦 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: "𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗿𝘆," 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) denounces the growing U.S. military footprint in the Philippines following the recent joint air patrol involving Philippine Air Force FA-50 jets and U.S. F-35 stealth aircraft over Philippine waters, and strongly opposes the planned establishment of a U.S.-supported munitions factory and ammunition storage facility in Subic, Zambales.

“These developments betray the country’s sovereignty and entangle us deeper into the aggressive military agenda of the United States,” said Prof. Roland G. Simbulan, Chairperson of CenPEG and veteran scholar on Philippine-U.S. security relations. “We are being reduced to a pawn in a great power rivalry between the U.S. and China—when what we truly need is an independent, peaceful foreign policy that protects Filipino lives and livelihoods.”

Simbulan recalled a foiled U.S. plan last year to relocate its main oil and fuel storage operations from Red Hill, Hawaii to Subic—a move widely criticized by environmentalists and communities both in the U.S. and the Philippines. “Let us not forget that the Red Hill fuel depots in Hawaii were shut down because they caused widespread contamination of groundwater and serious damage to marine life, sparking massive protests from the Hawaiian people,” he said.

“The attempt to transfer such a toxic facility to Subic was blocked, but now we are seeing another reckless plan—this time, to put up munitions factories and long-term arms storage depots in the same area. This would transform Subic and surrounding provinces like Zambales and Bataan into a powder keg ready to explode,” Simbulan warned. “The lives and safety of millions of Filipinos are being endangered just to serve the strategic goals of the U.S. war machine.”

CenPEG raised alarm that the country is being dragged into a security alliance that not only invites retaliation in times of conflict but also makes Filipinos hostages to the national security strategies of the United States.

“These aren’t acts of defense. They’re acts of dangerous entrenchment of foreign military power on our soil—happening under our noses and with the complicity of our own government,” Simbulan said.

CenPEG calls on all freedom-loving Filipinos, civil society organizations, local communities, and environmental advocates to resist the militarization of Subic and the creeping return of U.S. bases under the guise of joint patrols and defense cooperation. “We must not allow another tragedy like Red Hill to unfold here. The Philippines is not a battleground for foreign wars,” he concluded.###