The National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday denounced Bayan Muna for what it described as “reckless and irresponsible” remarks following the group’s opposition to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) acquisition of the Indian-made P21-billion BrahMos missile system.
In a statement, NSC spokesperson Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said Bayan Muna, a progressive left-leaning partylist group, has shifted from defending Filipino interests to openly repeating and “amplifying the official propaganda of the People’s Republic of China.”
‘These are not weapons of offensive war, they are tools of deterrence.’
“Let’s call a spade a spade. Bayan Muna is not advocating for the national interest, it is now speaking for Beijing,” Malaya said, in response to remarks made by Bayan Muna executive vice president Carlos Zarate, who reportedly criticized the AFP’s acquisition of the BrahMos missile system from India.
Zarate called the government’s BrahMos acquisition a “reckless venture” that could draw the Philippines into a dangerous “arms race” in the already tense Asia-Pacific region.
Malaya said Zarate’s statement was “a repetition of China’s official propaganda line.”
“Their talking points are the same as those of Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who early this year demanded the removal of US missile systems in the Philippines and accused our country of creating tensions and inciting confrontation,” Malaya said.
According to reports, Zarate described the BrahMos acquisition as a “waste of public funds” that should instead go toward housing, jobs and social services. He criticized the deal as “warmongering at the people’s expense” and argued that it “worsens tensions” without actually enhancing national security.
Malaya said Zarate failed to recognize that military preparedness is a legitimate and responsible response to real threats, not an act of provocation.
“To call our missile acquisitions warmongering and waste — just like the People’s Republic of China — is to ignore the realities on the ground,” he said.
“Bayan Muna is practically demanding that we disarm in the face of mounting Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea. While Chinese ships swarm our waters, block our resupply missions, destroy our reefs, and harass our fisherfolk, Bayan Muna would have the Filipino people surrender our right to defend ourselves,” he added.
Malaya reminded Bayan Muna that the BrahMos missile purchase from India, along with the planned acquisition of the United States-made Typhon missile system, “are defensive, strategic, and measured responses to real and escalating threats.”
“These are not weapons of offensive war, they are tools of deterrence. These strengthen our defense posture to protect our shores, assert our sovereign rights, and uphold regional stability based on international law,” he pointed out.
Malaya said that labeling the country’s defense efforts, such as missile acquisitions, as “militarism” or a “waste of public funds” is not only inaccurate but disrespectful to the soldiers and sailors who risk their lives to defend the country.
“To portray this as militarism or squandering public funds is an insult to every Filipino soldier and sailor defending our nation, and a dangerous attempt to weaken our resolve at a time when unity and strength are most needed,” he said.