Fisherfolk Group Opposes US Ammo Factory Plan in Subic Bay

The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) strongly rejected the proposal in the US Congress to establish an ammunition production and storage facility in Subic Bay Freeport, a former American naval base. Pamalakaya's national chair Fernando Hicap expressed concerns about the potential threat to national security and the livelihood of fisherfolk if the military installation is approved.

Hicap emphasized the risks of being caught in conflicts between the US and its rivals, particularly China, and the environmental impact of toxic chemical wastes from the proposed factory on the fishing community. Despite the US Marine Corps' existing warehouse facility in the freeport for humanitarian aid, US lawmakers are pushing for a joint ammunition manufacturing and storage facility in Subic Bay to address regional tensions.

Subic Bay, once a major US naval facility, has since been utilized by Philippine and American military forces for logistics support. The US House committee on appropriations has called for a study on establishing the ammunition facility in Subic Bay due to the lack of such facilities in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the source: Inquirer.net.