Base in play

The Philippines is now at the center of a vast war network. Last July, Trump met Bongbong in Washington and announced plans for an ammunition facility in Subic — 30mm cannon rounds for planes and tanks.

Trump said, “You’ll have more ammo than any country has ever seen.” Jobs. Factories. Technology. Economic relevance.

Then last week, PIPIR, the US-led “we’re going to be ready anywhere” initiative, expanded. Missile motor production is ramping up in Japan. Drones are buzzing everywhere. The Philippines is back in the munitions network — the real deal. Allies like Thailand, the United Kingdom, and South Korea are all in, with exercises, supply chains, and the works.

Bongbong and the defense establishment, through the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program, are playing the long game, actively leveraging US investments to build local defense industries and secure foreign direct investments.

People worry that we are painting a target on ourselves, questioning whether the country can still be neutral.

Neutral? In this madhouse? We have a Mutual Defense Treaty. We have expanded sites under EDCA. We conduct joint exercises. These are not the actions of a neutral country.

We can plant our flag in the sand, smile, and shake hands — we are not starting anything — but we are on the jackpot square of the war board that quietly tips toward whoever our host happens to be.

The world is unkind, especially to neutral countries sitting on jackpot squares. Reject US facilities, and we become the small country everyone ignores. Worse, we face pressure.

Look at China. The Philippines is already a target. Its aggressive expansion and harassment in the West Philippine Sea continue with or without an ammunition plant in Subic. The alliance with the United States is Manila’s chosen shield against that immediate threat, even if that shield is made of highly combustible material.

We were a target. Now we are a valuable target. More protected, yes. Stronger, maybe. Richer, possibly. But also more central, more visible, and more worth hitting.

China, Russia, Iran — even Kim. Just last week, Kim paraded his daughter on state television, showcasing tanks and artillery. The message: “We’re strong.” Or perhaps, “Take us seriously.”

America often uses other countries’ soil to extend its reach. The first shots can come from outside US borders — and who becomes the first domino? Subic.

Consider this: When Trump asked allies to send warships to Hormuz, Romania opened its bases, and the United Kingdom joined in, even bending some NATO rules.

From Washington’s perspective, we are more a position than a nation. A lever pulled halfway across the world, and Manila shakes. That is our hidden debt: Subic, Japan, South Korea, Thailand — pins on the chessboard in the US-China contest for Asia, friction points in a world that could ignite at any time.

Trouble abroad is insurance at home. The United States has rarely had its homeland devastated in modern war. Freedom from destruction is its ultimate advantage.

Every war it fights, the battlefield is somewhere else. That is leverage. Countries that cannot do this play defense; the United States plays offense elsewhere.

Our choices now — whether we insist on strict limits — will determine how exposed we are when regional tensions erupt.