Philippines, Japan may sign treaty in July

 

By Manuel Mogato | Date 05-31-2024

Manila — The Philippines and Japan may sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) in Tokyo during the 2+2 meeting between the two countries’ defense and foreign officials in the third quarter of 2024.

“There are still no fixed dates for the meeting but we are looking into a July meeting,” a senior defense official. 

“We wanted the RAA to be completed as soon as possible. It took so long to iron out the legal issues but we have no problem as long as the RAA is patterned after the visiting forces deal with Australia. Japan and Australia had a similar RAA.”

The 2+2 meeting in Tokyo would focus on the two countries’ maritime security cooperation as well as the Official Security Assistance program which included air defense and coastal radars and coast guard vessels.

The two countries will also discuss non-military Official Development Assistance (ODA), including Japan’s efforts to help the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

 “The OSA and ODA are both critical to the country’s internal and external security,” the senior defense official said. “We are grateful for Japan’s assistance to our economic development and national security. The RAA would formalize our security partnership with Japan and expand our alliance with like-minded states in the region.” 

Japan has recently announced a 23 billion pesos assistance package to deliver five 97-meter Coast Guard vessels under a soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The 2+2 meeting would also be a good follow-up on the quadrilateral meeting among defense leaders of Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States in Singapore next month during the annual Shangri-la Dialogue.

The four countries are already planning the next joint sail drills in the West Philippine Sea. 

“We plan to hold regular and joint sails with the US and other countries individually or jointly in the future. This activity is a direct challenge to China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea.”

He said Japan and the Philippines will also have bilateral land, sea, and air exercises once the RAA is concluded. 

“Our military planners are thinking of joint and combined military activities similar to Balikatan, or we could expand the annual drill to a multilateral exercise to include the US and Japan.” 

Outside the military activities, Japan and the Philippines have robust Coast Guard engagements.

“For decades, Japan’s Coast Guard has been holding exercises with our maritime law enforcement agency in Philippine waters. In the next iteration, the two Coast Guards could explore drills within the country’s exclusive economic zone or they can join the navy’s joint sail activities. This is not new because we have done this during Balikatan.”

The senior defense official said the Philippines would also explore sourcing from Japan excess defense equipment, like helicopters, coastal boats, and surveillance equipment which would be soon retired by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. 

In the past, Japan has transferred free of charge five surveillance fixed-wing aircraft and a billion pesos worth of helicopter spare parts and airframes which extended the life of its UH-1H helicopters. 

“We hope we can get more equipment from Japan because they like it to throw things that we can still use,” he said jokingly.