The Philippines must not be a launchpad for war

A press statement by Public Interest Law Center (PILC) on the launching of a Tomahawk cruise missile during Exercise Balikatan 2026
May 10, 2026

The Public Interest Law Center (PILC) expresses grave concern over reports that a United States missile system deployed in the Philippines was used to launch a Tomahawk cruise missile from Tacloban City, Leyte toward a target in Laur, Nueva Ecija during the Balikatan military exercises.

Regardless of claims that the missile carried no live explosives, the significance of the launch cannot be minimized. A weapons platform capable of long-range offensive strikes was activated from Philippine soil. That alone carries serious constitutional, political, and security implications for the Filipino people.

For years, PILC has warned that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) would steadily convert the Philippines into a strategic outpost for United States military operations in Asia. What was once defended as “joint training” has evolved into the actual operational deployment of advanced foreign weapons systems within Philippine territory.

The danger is obvious. Once Philippine territory is utilized for offensive military activity connected to the strategic objectives of a foreign power, the country inevitably becomes entangled in conflicts beyond the control or consent of its people. In the context of intensifying tensions between the United States and China, actions such as these may be interpreted by other states as direct participation or alignment in a broader military confrontation.

It is the Filipino people – not foreign governments, not military contractors, and not political elites – who will suffer the consequences if the Philippines is drawn into war.

Equally alarming is the use of civilian and public infrastructure in connection with foreign military operations. Communities that host these deployments are effectively exposed to heightened security risks and transformed into potential sites of military significance during periods of armed conflict. This places civilians in a precarious and dangerous position without meaningful public consultation or democratic accountability.

The 1987 Constitution is clear in declaring that the Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy and shall pursue an independent foreign policy anchored on sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interest.

PILC has consistently maintained that these agreements are constitutionally defective and fundamentally incompatible with genuine national independence. Far from protecting the Filipino people, they create conditions where the Philippines may serve as a military springboard in a regional conflict among major powers.

In light of these developments, PILC calls for:

1. the immediate disclosure of all facts surrounding the missile launch and the deployment of foreign missile systems in the country;

2. a congressional investigation into the use of Philippine territory and facilities for foreign military operations;

3. the suspension of activities involving offensive weapons systems during Balikatan exercises;

4. and the review and eventual termination of the VFA, EDCA, MDT, and similar agreements that compromise Philippine sovereignty and expose Filipinos to the dangers of foreign wars.

The Philippines should never be treated as an expendable military asset in the geopolitical contest of powerful nations.