A national federation of small-scale fisherfolk has expressed strong opposition to a proposal in the United States Congress to establish an ammunition production and storage facility at the former American naval base in Subic Bay, warning it poses risks to national security, sovereignty, and marine ecosystems.
In a statement issued on June 30, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said the planned U.S. military facility “to be installed right here in our midst are threats to security, making us a target of U.S. rival countries.”
“We certainly do not want to find ourselves in the middle of a war zone between the United States and any of its rival nations,” said Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of PAMALAKAYA.
Hicap said the group sees no justification for the renewed expansion of U.S. military presence in the country, noting that the Philippines had already removed foreign bases in the past.
“We have expelled U.S. military bases and troops before. We see no reason for the United States to strengthen its presence now, other than to set the stage for provocative operations against China,” he said.
PAMALAKAYA also warned that the proposed arms facility could cause environmental damage and disrupt the livelihoods of fisherfolk communities near Subic Bay.
“This will also threaten the fishing livelihood because of the toxic chemical wastes that the ammunition and arms factory will discharge into the water,” Hicap added.
The group urged the Filipino public and lawmakers to reject what it described as a “forward-staged” U.S. military installation, saying it serves no benefit to ordinary citizens.
“There is no benefit for ordinary Filipinos in the stockpiling of U.S. weapons and ammunition in our country. This plan should be rejected outright, even by Filipino legislators, because it is a blatant violation of our sovereignty,” Hicap said.
“We stand with many others who oppose U.S. military intervention in the Philippines, and we denounce the Marcos administration’s subservience to it,” he added.
