VP Sara Duterte rejects US ammo factory plan

Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the proposed construction of a joint ammunition factory in the Philippines, a plan suggested by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez.

Duterte, speaking from The Hague, Netherlands, where she is visiting her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, warned that such a move would compromise the Philippines' independent foreign policy.

She stated that the Constitution mandates an independent foreign policy, and any action favoring a single foreign country undermines this principle.

Romualdez had suggested the factory could enhance defense and economic cooperation with the U.S. and generate local employment.

The Vice President urged all Filipinos to oppose the plan, asserting that the country's actions should prioritize its own national interests over those of other nations.