Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said the recent Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) is a welcome development in our consolidation of multilateral support from the international community.
Hontiveros hopes that the Philippine government can negotiate more security agreements with other like-minded countries to de-escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
According to Senator Nancy Binay, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and then Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko consistently pushed for the crafting of RAA between the Philippines and Japan.
Binay noted that the signing of the RAA is the fruit of the Senate’s effort to initiate peaceful resolutions to ongoing maritime conflicts in the Asia-Pacific Region, assert our territorial rights, and reiterate the Philippines’ commitment to defend its national sovereignty.
The RAA’s value to National Security underscores how increased maritime security cooperation safeguards Philippine economic interests.
“I fully support the ratification of the Agreement once it reaches the Senate—as this would represent our commitment to peace and security in the region,” Binay said.
Zubiri, a long-time advocate of the RAA, said the agreement is a partnership of like-minded nations that will truly bolster the country’s naval training and use of ships and equipment purchased from Japan, further strengthening the Philippines’ defense and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
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