By Rene Acosta
THE proposed security agreement between Japan and the Philippines, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brought out during his visit to Tokyo last month, is moving into full steam, as it was again discussed during the meeting of the military chiefs of the two countries over the weekend.
The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which Marcos eyed between Manila and Tokyo, and will allow militaries of the two countries to conduct joint patrols and hold bilateral military training, was among the focus of the discussions between the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino and Gen. Koji Yamazaki, who is the chief of the Japan Self Defense Forces.
Centino led a military delegation that attended the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI)-Japan—the only large-scale, fully integrated defense event that has ever taken place in the said Asian country held from March 4 to 17.
Military public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said that while in Japan, Centino held high-level two-way talks with Yamazaki, as they tackled regional concerns.
“The two chiefs of defense discussed issues of mutual concern in the areas of maritime cooperation and defense, capability development, and the proposed Reciprocal Access Agreement or a SOFA, which will pave the way for more enhanced training and exercises between the [two countries],” Baclor said.
While Japan has been actively assisting the Philippines in the areas of maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, both cannot engage in actual military training because of the absence of an agreement.
Tokyo has been joining the “Balikatan”—the biggest annual military exercises between the United States and the Philippines, as an observer.
During his official visit to Japan early last month Marcos brought out the idea of a stronger military cooperation between Tokyo and Manila by eyeing for a security agreement. Both countries are facing an aggressive China in the East and South China Sea/West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Earlier the US said it will resume joint patrols with the Philippines—a move that Australia wanted to duplicate, also with Manila. The Philippines has an existing Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA with Washington, and a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement or SOVFA with Canberra.
Baclor said that Centino also met with Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, who is the chief of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces. Both discussed future partnerships and collaboration between the Philippine Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
“The meeting culminated with the traditional exchange of pleasantries, [with] Gen. Yamazaki’s assurance to Gen. Centino of Japan’s friendship and assistance on common security issues together with other like-minded countries in promoting a rules-based international order in the WPS to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Baclor said.
“For his part, Gen. Centino thanked Gen. Yamazaki for the genuine friendship and assistance in the ongoing capability development in the AFP, and for being one of the country’s strongest allies when it comes to security [as well as] other economic and developmental activities,” he added.