The US military fired a Tomahawk missile on midnight of Tuesday in the Philippines as part of its ongoing war games with the local military, launching from a civilian airport in the Visayas to a target in a sprawling army camp in Luzon Island.
Balikatan 2026 spokesperson Col. Dennis Hernandez confirmed that the US Army fired a land attack missile from its Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) system for the first time in the Philippines, landing roughly 630 kilometers away.
Hernandez said Filipino troops participated in the event and was a highlight in the ongoing war games, the biggest bilateral military exercise between the North American superpower and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The event, however, is not sitting well with nationalist groups, saying the missile firing “is a flashing red warning.”
“Balikatan is no longer just ‘training’ — it is an operational rehearsal that turns the Philippines into a platform for war among competing powers. The Marcos Jr. administration is making the country a willing pawn, allowing foreign forces to bring in strategic weapons that heighten the risk of escalation and retaliation,” Bayan Muna executive vice president Carlos Zarate said.
“By allowing these activities to normalize, the Marcos Jr. government is dragging the country toward a war posture that violates the spirit of our Constitution’s renunciation of war. Filipinos should not be made collateral damage in the geopolitical games of big powers,” Zarate said.
Biggest threat to peace
The Philippine chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS) condemned the missile launch as “dangerous and illegal act” by a foreign military power,” adding the Marcos Jr. government has displayed “shameless puppetry” by allowing it to happen.
ILPS said the incident illustrated that the greatest threat to peace in the Philippines is US military intervention and war posturing, putting Filipinos lives at serious risk and undermining the country’s sovereignty.
The group said the missile firing was a direct rehearsal for war, projecting US military power from Philippine soil, obviously aimed toward China and other potential targets across the region.
“A Tomahawk missile launch is clearly a simulation of real strike capability. It integrates the Philippines into US war planning in the Asia-Pacific, particularly in the context of US preparations for war against China,” ILPS said.
The Makabayan coalition of progressive lawmakers pointed out that the Tomahawk is exactly the same weapon being used to bomb civilian infrastructure and kill civilians in Iran.
“This shameless display of puppetry to the US, an unqualified support for the US war machine, should be condemned. The Philippines is not a playground for US missiles and bombs that will be used to kill civilians in other parts of the world,” Makabayan said.
China predictably condemned the incident, describing it as an “extremely irresponsible” move that sparks an arms race and risks regional security.
Beijing said both the US and the Philippines are “playing with fire,” singling out the Philippines is relying on external forces for maritime disputes and will only worsen regional tensions.
BAYAN calls for protests
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) called for protests to denounce the incident, pointing out that the Marcos Jr. government is allowing US military presence and activities outside of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and Balikatan sites.
“What are US forces doing in an airport which is a civilian facility? Authorities claim the expansion of US military presence is to extend cooperation for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Firing of missiles is clearly not related to aid distribution,” BAYAN said.
The alliance said all US missile systems should be immediately removed from the Philippines as these endanger communities and undermine Philippine national security.
“War exercises, especially the use of live fire missiles, displace residents, disrupt livelihoods, and destroy the environment. They also consume vast amounts of energy and other resources, which could have been used to provide subsidies to the public amid the global oil supply problem and oil price shock,” BAYAN said.
Earlier, fisher folk groups condemned the prohibition of fishing activities in areas where the war games are being held. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
