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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Japanese legislators reaffirm commitment to 'free, open' Indo-Pacific – DND

Japanese legislators reaffirm commitment to 'free, open' Indo-Pacific – DND

Published Aug 4, 2023 02:56 am
Delegates from the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) paid a courtesy visit on Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City to reaffirm their commitment towards building a sustainable strategic partnership with the Philippines toward ensuring a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region. DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the JPPFL delegation headed by its chairman, Hon. Moriyama Hiroshi, was accompanied by representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines when they arrived last August 2. “Both sides highlighted the two countries’ multi-faceted strategic partnership, and reaffirmed their commitment to explore several areas of convergence in the spirit of economic development, disaster resilience, and regional peace and stability,” Andolong said on Thursday, August 3. Teodoro emphasized the importance of a rules-based international order and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as an archipelagic doctrine to the Japanese visitors as the latter expressed support for the seventh anniversary of the tribunal ruling. The tribunal ruling refers to the award given by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) to the Philippine government in 2016 which invalidated China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. Both the Philippines and China have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. “Through deepening trilateral cooperation and placing premium on the role of multilateralism, Secretary Teodoro advocated for a fair and just international system wherein the supremacy of international law provides a mechanism for small countries like the Philippines to have a voice against expansionism for the survival of future generations,” Andolong said. Meanwhile, the DND will discuss with other concerned government agencies the possible conduct of a trilateral patrol operation in the South China Sea with Japan and United States. "We're still discussing, we're still discussing the same, and we will meet again with the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] and the NSA [National Security Adviser Eduardo Año] to discuss further," Teodoro said in a separate interview with reporters in Lal-lo, Cagayan on Thursday.
The defense chief also expressed appreciation for Japan’s support to enhancing the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness and in developing its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) capabilities through the Office of Civil Defense.  Teodoro also said he expects Japan’s support to the Phiippines’ self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) program as it aims to enable the country to produce weapons, small arms and ammunition, tactical communications equipment, basic land vehicles, and small sea craft using local materials. The Philippines was among the recipients of Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) which is Japan’s newly launched grant aid scheme that seeks to bolster the transfer of defense equipment and technology to other friendly countries.

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Secretary Gilberto Teodoro DND defense Japan
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