Philippine groups warned that the recent crash of a US Department of Defense-contracted aircraft in Maguindanao del Sur signals an alarming escalation of US military presence in the country. 

Activist organizations and lawmakers condemned the incident, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and demanding an end to foreign military agreements.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that the crash “is a clear warning of the dangers of US militarism in the Asia-Pacific region.”

“This incident shows how US war-mongering, aimed at encircling China’s expanding influence, directly undermines regional stability by disrupting peace and destroying livelihoods,” Bayan said in a statement. 

The group argued that nearly a century of US military influence over the Philippine armed forces, despite continuous assurances of enhanced capability, has led to failures such as crash landings and has further entangled the nation in prolonged US conflicts.

The group raised concerns about the surveillance mission, calling for an investigation into its nature. Bayan questioned how many similar operations had been authorized by the government.

“Why was there an operation in Mindanao when the supposed hotspot is in the West Philippine Sea?” it added. 

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene Brosas echoed these concerns, calling the US military surveillance operations in Mindanao a “clear violation of Philippine sovereignty.”

“The crash incident has exposed the alarming truth about unauthorized US military surveillance activities in Mindanao. These operations, along with the presence of military contractors, represent a serious breach of our national sovereignty. This is US interference in our internal affairs,” Brosas said.

She criticized the presence of foreign military contractors operating under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which she claimed have turned parts of Mindanao into “unofficial US military outposts.”

“We demand full transparency about these surveillance operations and call for an immediate congressional inquiry. The government should not allow foreign forces to conduct surveillance in our territory,” she added.

Gabriela Women’s Party is pushing for the termination of the VFA, EDCA, and other military agreements they deem unequal and detrimental to Philippine sovereignty.

“These military agreements have only served to strengthen US military presence in the Philippines while undermining our national sovereignty,” Brosas asserted.

She also announced plans to file a House Resolution calling for an investigation into what she described as “unauthorized US surveillance operations and the presence of military contractors in Mindanao.”

“We cannot just allow this blatant intrusion into our territory,” she said. 

The US Indo-Pacific Command earlier confirmed that a small aircraft, which was providing “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support” at the request of Philippine authorities, crashed in Mindanao, killing one US service member and three defense contractors. 

The US military has not disclosed further details, while the Philippine military has refrained from commenting, citing an ongoing investigation.

The US Indo-Pacific Command further clarified that “the incident occurred during a routine mission in support of US-Philippine security cooperation activities.” 

The aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft Super King Air B300 with tail number N349CA, was registered to defense firm Metrea.

Authorities said that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.