MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' expanding partnership with Japan has "helped to strengthen our position" in confronting regional challenges, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told Japan's security chief during Thursday's courtesy call in Malacañang.
"I'm very optimistic of the continuing strengthening of our partnership not only in terms of defense and security but even in the economic area," Marcos said in a news release by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Friday, December 20.
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Japanese National Security Adviser Akiba Takeo's meeting with Marcos comes over a week after the conduct of the first Philippines-Japan-US trilateral maritime dialogue in Tokyo on December 10, where the three nations said they established a "durable foundation" for maritime cooperation amid tensions in the South China Sea.
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The high-level meeting at Malacañang also follows the Senate's ratification of the two countries' reciprocal access agreement, which will allow troops of both countries to be deployed on each other's soil.
The military access agreement is the first by Japan with a country in Asia. Marcos highlighted it in his remarks to Takeo.
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“I’m also very happy to be able to note that the Reciprocal Access Agreement has already been ratified by our Senate. And as soon as we are all ready, we can operationalize the agreement that we have come through between Japan and the Philippines,” Marcos said.
Once in effect, the RAA will allow Japanese forces to fully join the annual Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and United States, where they previously participated only as observers.
Makabayan bloc lawmakers, namely Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers), Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) and Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Partylist) have opposed the RAA, citing Japan's failure to apologize for its military's abuses against Filipino women during World War II.
South China Sea. Marcos also highlighted the two countries' strong cooperation on defense security, particularly in terms of "sharing, interoperability, and exercises" that strengthen both nations' position in the South China Sea.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, in a message delivered through Takeo, called Japan, the Philippines and the US "natural partners, being maritime nations connected by the Pacific Ocean," according to the PCO release.
The Japanese leader stressed the importance of "sharing the principle of the rule of law and strengthening cooperation in maritime security, economic security, and enhancing connectivity" to ensure Indo-Pacific stability.
Strategic partners. The enhanced defense cooperation between Manila and Tokyo builds on both countries' strategic partnership established in 2011. Japan has since become the Philippines' second closest security partner after the United States.
Beyond joint military exercises, Japan has provided crucial defense assets to the Philippines, including patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard, maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and air surveillance equipment. Japanese forces also conduct regular maritime exercises with Philippine counterparts in the South China Sea.