Tinio presses DND chief on US troops in PHIVIDEC, secures commitment that planned Navy dry dock won't be used by US

PRESS RELEASE

Rep. Antonio Tinio ACT Teachers PL August 27, 2026

Tinio presses DND chief on US troops in PHIVIDEC, secures commitment that planned Navy dry dock won’t be used by US

ACT Teachers Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio on Tuesday afternoon called out the uncoordinated and unchecked entry of United States soldiers into the PHIVIDEC industrial estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, as he grilled Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro during the budget interpellations on the DND’s proposed 2027 budget.

During the interpellation, Tinio confronted Teodoro over reports—documented in a PNP police blotter and acknowledged by the US Embassy—that US soldiers had attempted to enter the PHIVIDEC area, which is an attached agency to the DND. The area is slated for the development of a new Philippine Navy dry dock to replace the shallow and unsustainable facility in Sangley Point, Cavite.

“Ang nagkukomplika dito ay yung reports kaugnay sa Tagoloan or PHIVIDEC na merong US soldiers na nagtangkang pumasok pero hindi sila nakapasok. This was noted in a police blotter of the PNP as well as acknowledged by the US Embassy. Ano po ang interest ng US sa PHIVIDEC?” Tinio asked.

Teodoro claimed that the incident was merely a “Balikatan loading exercise” conducted last year with the 4th Infantry Division, and denied that the US has any interest in the planned dry dock. He insisted that the facility is solely for Philippine Navy use, noting that the Navy is acquiring six to eight new vessels that require a dedicated maintenance facility.

“Sa atin lang po puno na yun eh. Kailangan din na po natin. So I don’t see any space for expansion on that area. We need to have our own dedicated dry dock actually,” Teodoro stated.

However, Tinio pointed out that the entry of US troops into strategic military and economic installations continues to proceed with a disturbing lack of transparency and public accountability. The incident at PHIVIDEC, he stressed, is part of a broader pattern of US military access creeping into facilities across the country.

Tinio’s interpellation underscored the need for full transparency and accountability regarding any foreign military access to Philippine defense installations, amid the growing US military footprint in the country.

“We call on the Filipino people to be ever vigilant against any foreign manipulation and intervention. We must stand for the Filipino people and our country’s interest. We must oppose all efforts to sell us out,” Tinio ended.###