SENATE candidate Liza Maza today voiced strong opposition to a proposed US naval base in Misamis Oriental, condemning what she described as excessive American involvement in Philippine affairs.

“The US interference is blatant,” Maza said at a press conference alongside the Makabayan bloc and Bayan Muna partylist.

She recalled witnessing a human rights violation in Basilan, where an American soldier was allegedly involved in a military operation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Their intervention has gone too far,” Maza added, arguing that the US is using tensions in the West Philippine Sea as a pretext to expand its military presence.

BAYAN MUNA. Progressive leaders Liza Maza, Carlos Zarate, Amirah Lidasan, and Eufemia Cullamat hold a press conference in Cagayan de Oro City today, highlighting their platform for higher wages, lower prices, and national sovereignty ahead of the 2025 elections. The Makabayan coalition calls for stronger social services and economic justice for marginalized communities. Photo courtesy of Makabayan Coalition

Maza claimed the US is conducting surveillance operations in the Philippines, raising concerns about national sovereignty.

A longtime advocate for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), women’s rights, and nationalist policies, Maza said she aims to reform what she calls the country’s “rotten political system.”

“If we don’t change this broken politics now, then when?” she said.

Maza is running for senator in the May 2025 elections under the Makabayan Coalition, which has consistently opposed foreign military presence in the Philippines.