“…They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” – Isaiah 2:4, NIV
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines expresses its deep concern over the reported plan for the construction of an ammunition factory in the Philippines under the US-led Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) program. Under this program, the Philippines would have the largest ammunition depot, including the assembly and packaging facility, alongside missile motor and drone manufacturing. This report comes at a time in which the U.S.-Israeli war of aggression is at its height.
The proposed ammunition factory would only deepen our entanglement in foreign military interests, effectively placing our nation under external control and exposing our people to greater danger from unnecessary and unjust war. This will not bring true security; instead, it will only sow seeds of fear and invite lasting danger to the Filipino people, making our communities potential targets, as we are witnessing in a retaliatory strike by Iran in those countries hosting the U.S. military bases.
Thus, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines calls on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Senate, and the House of Representatives to categorically and immediately reject the proposed establishment of an ammunition factory in the country.
We also call for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), as these serve to justify the continued presence of U.S. military bases and troops in the Philippines.
As the Global Ecumenical Forum for JustPeace in the Philippines[1] asserted: “The Filipino people know from historical and ongoing experience the devastating consequences of U.S. military presence, political interference, and economic domination. Rather than having an independent and peaceful foreign policy, the government of Pres. Marcos, Jr. dutifully fulfilling its role as subordinate ally to the US is putting the country right in the middle of this escalating tension in the Middle East. Undoubtedly, it is one of the closest countries to the clash of empires.”
In this critical time, may we stand firm in upholding and defending the true interests of the nation, by placing the welfare of the people above all else. As Christians, we therefore reject all that perpetuates unjust wars and violence. We commit ourselves to the work of just peace and fullness of life. We stand for Peace, we resist the US War Machine!
Signed and issued on this day, 27th of March, 2026.
Chairperson
[1] The Global Ecumenical Forum for JustPeace in the Philippines (GEF-PH) is an international solidarity movement advocating for justpeace in the Philippines.
