MANILA, July 8 ------ The Philippines and Japan will sign a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that would allow Filipino and Japanese troops to operate and train in either country. Per the Presidential Communications Office, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru are expected to pay a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the Palace today. President Marcos will witness the signing of the Philippines-Japan RAA shortly after the joint courtesy call of Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defense Minister Kihara.
Like the Philippines' Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, the RAA is expected to outline the protocols for the stationing and deployment of military assets and troops. The RAA will also cover issues on custody and handling of visiting service members who break the law. Marcos Jr. earlier said that the Philippines' RAA with Japan will also be "very, very different" from the VFA with the US. "It's not going to be as if it's their base and they, their seamen will come down and will go into the city and go — I don’t think that that’s a part of the agreement,” he said in a press conference in April.
Marcos Jr.’s administration — which has been protesting China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea — has been vocal about letting Japanese forces to join the Balikatan military exercises next year. Earlier this month, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo said he is looking forward to the signing of the RAA between Manila and Tokyo, and underscored Japan’s commitment to "never repeat the tragedies of the past." Japan invaded and occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. "Over the course of their service, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) has effectively solidified their role as a key stabilizer in the region," Endo said, referring to the force that replaced the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces after World War II. "Reflecting on the JSDF’s past achievements and present commitments, we envision a future where JSDF forges ahead as a pillar of stability and a beacon of peace in the region," he said.
After the signing of the RAA, the treaty will need to be ratified by the legislative bodies of the two countries before it comes into force. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, in an advisory, warned against entering into the deal, saying it will "heighten Japanese militarism in the region" and could add to already high tension with China. It also accused the government of "expanding foreign military intervention that violates our sovereignty, disrupts local livelihoods, and inflicts violence, especially on our women."
Bayan and other national democratic activist organizations oppose foreign interference military presence in the Philippines, saying these do not serve national interest and puts the country in danger of being caught in geopolitical rivalries. The Philippines has been expanding its engagement with the US and other security partners while also building up the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines amid tension in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines and Japan celebrated 67 years of normalized relations since July 23, 1956, and 12 years of strengthened strategic partnership since 2011. Japan is one of the Philippines’ four Strategic Partners with 264 bilateral agreements. In 2023, Japan ranked as the Philippines’ second largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to $20.71 billion. In the same year, a total of 305,580 Japanese tourist arrivals were recorded in the Philippines. The figure is higher than the 99,557 tourist arrivals posted in 2022. Japan serves as the second home to an estimated 314,428 Filipinos.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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