THE Bagong Alyansang Makabayan–Southern Mindanao (Bayan-SMR) condemns the plan of the United States to construct a military oil depot along the coasts of the Davao Gulf.
Bayan-SMR called on the local governments of Davao City, Davao del Sur, and other neighboring provinces to reject the proposed Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP) and uphold the security of the area, as well as the country’s sovereignty, against foreign military encroachment along the gulf.
“Bayan-Southern Mindanao rejects the DFSP project as it constitutes a grave violation of Philippine sovereignty,” the group said in a statement on April 12, 2026.
It said that the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), on March 31, 2026, issued a formal solicitation for contractors to bid on the DFSP in the area. This facility would form part of a broader network of refueling hubs that would support US military vessels and aircraft operating across the Pacific Ocean.
According to a report by the U.S. Naval Institute news service, the DFSP project is in line with upcoming sites that will be situated in Australia and Papua New Guinea. These sites are part of the US’s growing network of forward-based refueling hubs in the Western Pacific.
Bayan-SMR raised alarm over the project after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed it.
The AFP said that the proposed DFSP falls under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which allows US forces access to and use of Philippine military bases and facilities.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad downplayed concerns that the DFSP could become a target for future attacks, saying that it would instead serve as a deterrent.
“The greater risk is to have no deterrence at all,” Trinidad told national media.
However, Bayan-SMR stressed that the US military presence in the Philippines increases the risk of the country being drawn into geopolitical conflicts. The group noted that from April 20 to May 8, 2026, the Philippines will host the largest Balikatan exercises, involving 8,000 military personnel from the US, Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
The Balikatan exercises will include amphibious landings, live-fire drills, and other war simulations.
Bayan-SMR said that these exercises would escalate tensions in the region and pose a threat to communities through potential human rights violations, environmental destruction, and the militarization of civilian spaces, which they believe advance the strategic interests of the US in Asia.
The group added that these developments are part of the US’s imperialist strategy of pivoting its presence in Asia, where rival powers such as China and Russia are also active.
Bayan-SMR denounced the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for being subservient to the US, citing that under his term, the US–Philippines Bilateral Defense Guidelines were signed, leading to the expansion of Edca sites and the deployment of the US Typhon missile system in Northern Luzon.
The group said that the proposed DFSP in Mindanao is another step by the US in expanding its presence in the Philippines.
Bayan-SMR also demanded the abrogation of all unequal and lopsided agreements, such as the Edca, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). RGP
