Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Bicol strongly condemned the launching of covert US military operations in various towns of Camarines Sur and the continuing counterinsurgency “war games” with Australian troops under “Kasangga 2026-01.”
Colluding with the 9th ID and its battalions, American troops and other foreign forces used the coastal and mountainous areas of Pasacao, Balatan, San Fernando, Libmanan and Ragay. According to Bayan-Bicol, this clearly shows the deepening US military intervention and a blatant violation of Philippine sovereignty.
Residents reported that large-scale troop movements began on May 17 in coastal communities and mountainous areas of Camarines Sur. American soldiers were also reportedly in Barangay Mainit, Pasacao while four foreign-flagged ships were seen anchored in its seas. The operation is widescale and visible, yet it was not publicly disclosed and no media reports were released. There was no notice on the real scope and impact of the operation.
From Barangay Mainit, foreign troops covered at least 28 more barangays in the province. An estimated total of four company-sized forces operated across five to six towns in Camarines Sur. Bayan-Bicol also received reports that these troops set up checkpoints and tightly monitored residents’ movements.
“This deployment is not a simple military exercise but a large-scale military occupation of fishing and farming communities,” Bayan-Bicol said. “This type of operation is deeply alarming because it not only endangers the security and livelihoods of the people but also further turns civilian communities into targets amid escalating military tensions in the region.”
It added that colluding with the puppet Marcos regime, the US is clearly using Bicol as a launchpad for strategic military operations.
The group also condemned the US for using humanitarian assistance and disaster response programs as cover to maintain its presence in the region.
“Instead of genuine civilian service and immediate aid during disasters, these activities strengthen interoperability between American and Filipino troops, conduct military exercises, and further expand foreign military influence in communities,” said Bayan-Bicol. “The people’s disasters and poverty must not be used as propaganda for the militarization of Bicol and the entire country.”
The group denounced the secrecy of the operations and the lack of transparency about the presence of American troops in the region. It said this disregards the people’s right to information, especially those directly affected by the actions of US and other foreign troops.
“Communities in Camarines Sur must not be turned into battlefields and military laboratories,” it said. “Peasants, fisherfolk, and ordinary people are the ones most disrupted and endangered by these operations.”
Bayan-Bicol asserted that the people’s real security rests on “secure livelihoods, rights, and national sovereignty, not on increasing foreign soldiers and military ships along our coasts.”
It called on Bicolanos and the Filipino people to “remain vigilant and unite against worsening militarization and foreign intervention” in the country.
“Hold the government accountable and oppose any agreement that allows the large-scale presence of American troops in the country,” it said.
