RAA expected to finalize on 2+2 meet

Manila and Tokyo are expected to sign on Monday the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that would allow Filipino and Japanese troops to operate and train in either country following the 2nd Japan-Philippines Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting.

Similar to 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.

President Ferdinand 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 join the Balikatan military exercises next year.

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.”

“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.

AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. expressed hope that the said agreement will be finalized on Monday.

“We are hoping that the RAA will be signed during the PH-Japan meeting. The RAA is important because it will allow Japanese forces to come to our country to conduct training. It will also allow our troops to go to Japan to train,” Brawner 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.