Philippines, Japan sign reciprocal access agreement

Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro signs the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Philippines and Japan on July 08, 2024 in Malacanang Palace. Witnessing the signing are Japan Defence Minister Kihira Minoru, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. PHOTOS BY YUMMIE DINGDING / PPA POOL

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Japan signed a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) on Monday in Malacañang.

The RAA will serve as the legal basis for both countries’ troops entering each other’s territory for joint military exercises.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko signed the agreement, which was witnessed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“The RAA with Japan is a commitment made at the inaugural PH-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting or 2+2 in April 2022,” the PCO earlier said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the first negotiations concerning the RRA were held in Tokyo from November 29 to 30 last year.

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The country’s RAA with Japan is akin to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) it has with the United States and the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (Sovfa) with Australia.

Now that the agreement was already signed, it will then be submitted to the Philippine Senate and Japan’s legislature for ratification.

Under Article VII, Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution, “no treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.”

The agreement was signed following a courtesy call on President Marcos by Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru.

READ: West Philippine Sea: PH hopes to sign key defense pact with Japan

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, for his part, supported the signing of the RAA, counting it as a “deterrence” to “possible conflagration.”

“Anything that strengthens and increases our military’s capability is a deterrence to a possible conflagration. I fully support this agreement/arrangement,” Escudero told reporters through Viber.

The agreement came amid the Philippines’ maritime dispute with China after the latter claimed ownership — through its so-called 10-dash line — of most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s claims and upheld the Philippines’ EEZ through a 2016 Arbitral Award, but China has consistently ignored the ruling, persistently encroaching on Philippine waters and harassing Philippine ships.