Groups warn Philippines becoming US war launch pad amid Balikatan

Central to the criticism was the reported live-firing of a US Tomahawk missile that traveled approximately 630 kilometers from Tacloban City to Nueva Ecija.

LAGUNA — As the Balikatan exercises formally concluded on May 7, progressive groups condemned what they described as the deepening militarization of the Philippines under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., warning that the country is being transformed into a “forward base” for the geopolitical interests of the United States.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) criticized Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for dismissing concerns over the live-firing of US and Japanese missiles during Balikatan 2026, calling him a “shameless US imperialist mouthpiece” and an “unapologetic Amboy.”

The group said Teodoro’s remarks sought to silence legitimate criticism by branding dissenters as allies of China, instead of addressing what Bayan described as the real danger posed by expanding US-led war exercises in Philippine territory.

“Teodoro attempts to dismiss legitimate concerns that the increasingly provocative military exercises with the US are dragging the country closer to a potential war aimed at preserving US global hegemony,” Bayan said in a statement. 

Central to the criticism was the reported live-firing of a US Tomahawk missile that traveled approximately 630 kilometers from Tacloban City to Nueva Ecija. Bayan noted that the missile carried a warhead weighing around 450 kilograms and passed over civilian communities during the exercise.

Read: Groups slam Tomahawk missile firing under Balikatan exercise

The group warned that any technical malfunction or operational error could have resulted in massive casualties.

“A technical malfunction or human error during the exercise could easily have resulted in unimaginable deaths and destruction,” Bayan said, adding that ordinary Filipinos are being made to bear the risks of Washington’s military posturing against China.

Bayan also raised concerns over the participation of Japan in the exercises, particularly the launch of Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The group cited reports that one missile may have missed its intended target, the retired naval vessel BRP Quezon (PS-70), although authorities have yet to confirm the incident.

For Bayan, the live-fire drills revealed the increasingly aggressive role assigned to the Philippines in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China.

“The exercises clearly demonstrated the specific military role that the US wants the Philippines to play in its inter-imperialist rivalry with China: that of a forward base and launch pad for military attacks,” the group said.

The statement came amid renewed calls from progressive and environmental organizations to junk military agreements that allow expanded US military access in the country, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Outside Camp Aguinaldo, members of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment and other progressive groups denounced Balikatan and what they called the “plunder” of the country’s natural resources tied to US strategic interests last Friday, May 7. 

The environmental group linked the expanding military partnership between Manila and Washington to recent agreements on critical minerals and mining. According to Kalikasan, the Marcos administration’s participation in the US-Philippines Critical Minerals Deal and the Pax Silica initiative would further open the country’s natural resources to foreign extraction.

“In reality, this only intensifies the plunder of the environment,” the group said, pointing to the liberalization of mining operations in upland communities and ancestral lands.

Kalikasan also criticized the government for prioritizing military exercises while millions of Filipinos continue to face soaring oil prices, low wages, and worsening economic conditions.

“The resources and energy wasted on the Balikatan Exercises, if the state truly served the people, should instead be directed toward measures that would ease the burden of oil price shocks and the worsening economic crisis,” the group said.

Both organizations rejected claims that opposition to US military intervention automatically translates to support for China. Instead, they called for an independent foreign policy anchored on national sovereignty, diplomacy, and peaceful resolution of disputes.

“We reject war as an instrument of foreign policy,” Bayan reiterated. “The increasing US military presence and provocative war exercises seriously undermine efforts toward genuine peace and regional cooperation.” (RTS. AMU)

The post Groups warn Philippines becoming US war launch pad amid Balikatan appeared first on Bulatlat.