The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
By Tracy Cabrera
FOLLOWING a proposal by a United States-led defense manufacturing partnership to establish a new ammunition production line in the country, leftist groups led by the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives expressed opposition to the plan, saying that the Philippines must not be turned into a logistical extension of US warmongering.
The Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), a group of nations working together to build up their weapons and defense manufacturing capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, agreed to explore the building of the ammo factory in the Philippines along with launching a new program for missile motor production with Japan while urging for a drone cooperation effort across Asia.
The Pentagon published a joint statement following a virtual meeting last week, where the group welcomed two new members—Thailand and the United Kingdom—bringing its total membership to 16 countries spanning both the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Washington set up the partnership in May 2024 with the aim of reducing supply chain risks and help allies produce and maintain military equipment closer to where it might be needed.
The group disclosed that it had agreed to set up the new program to produce solid rocket motors—the propulsion systems used in many guided weapons—with Japan taking the lead. The move is considered a way to boost production capacity outside the mainland USA for a key weapons component.
On drones, members agreed on a series of steps to develop common standards and shared supply chains for small military drones across the region, including work on batteries and small motors that power them.
On ammunition, members stated that they would look into the Philippines hosting a new facility to load, assemble and package 30mm cannon rounds—a type of ammunition widely used by military aircraft and ground vehicles.
However, this plan was strongly opposed in the House with the leftist Makabayan bloc led by ACT Teachers party-list representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela congresswoman Sarah Jane Elago and Kabataan solon Renee Louise Co stressing that the creation of an arms facility in the Philippines under PIPIR is a “war industry integration for US strategic needs.”
“Any move to host ammunition production lines for weapons used by aircraft and armored vehicles is direct material support for militarism and aggression, while also making our territory more exposed to retaliation, sabotage, accidents and escalation,” the lawmakers pointed out.
They also tagged the plan as a reason that would only deepen the country’s dependence on foreign military strategy and supply chains while dressing it as a ‘partnership.’
“We reject the attempt to normalize arms manufacturing as an acceptable economic program. Weapons production is not a neutral industry: it is built on profiteering from conflict and it funnels public policy toward militarization,” the leftist bloc asserted.
