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Ph, Jpn ink military access agreement
By Nidz Godino
"Your presence here increases our confidence and importance that Japanese government puts on these extremely important agreements that we have," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.told Japanese officials after he witnessed signing of treaty documents between Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa , Philippines and Japan are deepening security and maritime cooperation including in cyber domain following signing of landmark Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA).
RAA was signed by Kamikawa ,Defense Minister Kihara Minoru with their Philippine counterparts, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Teodoro.
Witnessing signing of RAA at Malacañang, President Marcos said "very, very important event" showed fruit of what they had been "working hard to achieve."
Defense agreement, first made by Japan with Southeast Asian country, will take effect after ratification by two countries' legislatures. Tokyo forged similar agreements with Australia in 2022 and with Britain in 2023.
Senate has vowed to closely scrutinize RAA before ratification.
RAA will facilitate procedures and set guidelines for Philippine forces' visit to Japan for training and joint exercises, and vice versa.
For her part, Kamikawa described RAA as "great achievement" and key to maintaining and strengthening free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"The fact that we are able to sign RAA today is great achievement after leaders decided to launch negotiations at last November's summit meeting, to maintain and strengthen free and open international order based on rule of law, we would like to strengthen our partnership under Your Excellency's leadership," Kamikawa told Marcos.
Philippines is the first recipient of Japan's newly launched Official Security Assistance (OSA).
During working lunch with Manalo, Kamikawa said Japan would provide coastal surveillance radar system to Philippines under OSA, strengthen bilateral coast guard coordination and provide additional patrol vessels through Japan's official development assistance.
Kamikawa and Manalo also committed to enhance two countries' supply chain resilience and cooperation in human resource development for semiconductor sector.
Two countries are also strengthening cooperation in cybersecurity.
Kamikawa noted Japan and Philippines have made concrete progress in wide range of areas of cooperation in the past several years.
Kihara credited Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for great strides in defense cooperation and exchanges two nations have taken.
"Signature of Reciprocal Access Agreement today represents cooperative relationship that our two nations enjoy…and I welcome this new development, reinforces effectiveness of our defense cooperation, I am committed to working with my good colleague, Secretary Teodoro, to further enhance our defense cooperation and exchanges in order to realize free and open Indo-Pacific, Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations are situated in very strategically important region, placed in key junction of Japan's sea-lanes…advancing defense cooperation and exchanges with Philippines is important for Japan, " Kihara told Marcos.
In his remarks after signing of RAA, Teodoro said Philippines now looks forward to "putting into flesh, so to speak, steps forward, now that we have upgraded our partnership one level higher by signing of RAA."
"This is another milestone in our shared endeavor to ensure rules-based international order to ensure peace and stability in Indo-Pacific and particularly in our region," he said.
While Philippines-Japan relations are very strong in traditional fields such as economy and trade, "we add another dimension to our already strong bilateral relations by adding vital aspect of security, creates holistic dimension or adds holistic dimension to our bilateral relations."
"It will also add to multilateral efforts both our governments are doing to make sure our region respects rule of international law," , Teodoro pointed out.
After meeting Marcos, Kamikawa and Kihara took part in the 2nd Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2) with Teodoro and Manalo in Taguig City.
Ministerial security dialogue is highest consultative mechanism for further deepening security and defense policy coordination and security cooperation between two countries.
Signing of RAA between Japan and Philippines came after Kishida and Marcos agreed in November last year to start negotiations on the pact.
Marcos had said RAA between Manila and Tokyo would be different from country's Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with US.
Signed in 1998, VFA exempts US troops from passport and visa regulations so they can participate in joint military drills in the Philippines. It's not yet clear if Japanese soldiers would be entitled to same privilege under RAA.
Philippines also has defense pact with Australia called Status of Visiting Forces Agreement or SOVFA, ratified by Senate on July 24, 2012.
After signing of RAA, Kamikawa met with her counterpart Manalo.
RAA is likely to breeze through Senate needs to ratify it with Senate President Francis Escudero voicing his full support for the agreement.
"Anything that strengthens and increases our military capability is deterrence to possible conflagration… I fully support this agreement,arrangement," Escudero said.
Former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri lauded what he called timely signing of agreement.
"It was in 2022 when then-ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko and I first discussed possibility of pursuing Reciprocal Access Agreement between our countries, and I brought this idea to President Marcos early into his administration," Zubiri said. "So, I welcome this signing, and I am very hopeful it will be key partnership for achieving peace in the region.
"Japan is already invaluable ally, and their assistance has been vital to modernization of our Coast Guard and Navy…with this RAA, we can further strengthen our capacity-building through joint military exercises," he pointed out.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito called signing of RAA "welcome development in terms of security in the region and against China's continued expansionism."
"It's important to cooperate with like-minded countries, especially our neighbors, and uphold mutual interests," Sen. Grace Poe said.
"We welcome having stronger security ties with our neighbors in Asia-Pacific region…however, as with other treaties, Senate committee on foreign relations will scrutinize every line and every word of that treaty once the same is referred to us to make sure it is aligned with national interest of the country," Sen. Imee Marcos said.
But for Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, Philippines "should be entering more agreements of economic nature, would allow us to sell Philippine-made and Philippine-grown products,items to other countries."
Militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan issued statement denouncing RAA.
"We strongly oppose RAA," it said, reminding public of Japan's militarism during World War II that it said had caused suffering to Philippnies and other Asian countries.
Gabriela Women's party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas called agreement threat to "sovereignty and regional peace."
She said RAA is "essentially another Visiting Forces Agreement that will allow Japanese Self-Defense Forces to participate in military exercises in the Philippines, primarily United States-Phl Balikatan."
"We must not forget historical context of this agreement. Japan has yet to fully atone for its wartime atrocities, particularly systematic abuse of comfort women," Brosas added.
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