Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines ENDO Kazuta on Tuesday (Sept. 17) affirmed his country’s continuing support for the Mindanao Peace Process in the succeeding years.
In a courtesy call on Vice President Sara Duterte, Ambassador Endo said Japan will keep a close eye on the situation to ensure that next year’s election for the Bangsamoro Parliament will be held in a fair and democratic manner.
The two exchanged views on the Japan-Philippine bilateral relations.
It will be recalled that in July, Japan and the Philippines signed a key defense pact that allows the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the country as part of a strategic action against an increasingly aggressive China. The “groundbreaking” Reciprocal Access Agreement similarly allows Philippine forces to enter Japan for joint combat training.
Ambassador Endo thanked Duterte for attending the Ceremony of the Accession to the Throne of the Emperor in 2019 and the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
Japan’s top diplomat in the country and the Vice President agreed to mutually strengthen the bilateral relations between Japan and the Philippines.
The Vice President, who has been silent on China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea, conveyed her appreciation for Japan’s development cooperation projects in Mindanao and expressed her gratitude for Japan’s commitment to the Mindanao Peace Process.
The “outspoken” Vice President has been criticized for refusing to call out China for its incursions into Philippine territorial waters.