The Japanese government is preparing for the state visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte revealed on Thursday, Sept. 29, upon her return from Tokyo to attend the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Duterte was the Philippines’ special envoy to Abe’s state funeral in Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, where about 6,000 guests attended last Tuesday, Sept. 27.
She met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who talked to her about his country’s current preparations for Marcos’ state visit. Duterte did not reveal the date of the President’s Tokyo state visit, which will mark his third official trip as Chief Executive.
“Discussion of the preparations of Japan sa pagbisita ng ating Pangulong Marcos dun sa kanila (about the visit of our President Marcos there), I understand they are working on a state visit for President Marcos in Japan,” she said during an interview on the sidelines of former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s sixth death anniversary at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.
READ: VP Duterte meets with PM Kishida, Japanese officials
The President earlier visited neighboring Singapore and Indonesia to mark the country’s openness to receive foreign investments in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marcos also just arrived from attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Duterte, who arrived on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from Tokyo, shared that she thanked Kishida for Japan's continuing assistance to the Philippines.
“We talked about there, first and foremost, our gratitude to Japan for all their help (to) the Philippines particularly for their support in recent years in the Build Build program of our government,” she said in Filipino.
The Vice President was referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship infrastructure development program—Build, Build, Build—which Japan had supported.