Marcos expects signing of reciprocal access agreement with Japan

Manila Bulletin

President Marcos says there is no stopping the Philippines and Japan from signing the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) that will allow both countries to send military forces to each other's territory for joint drills.  In an interview with Manila-based foreign media reporters, the President said that both sides are just ironing out the language to be used in the agreement.  READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/15/marcos-no-conflict-in-raa-signing-between-ph-japan

Transcript

00:00 We're working on that.

00:03 Yes, yes.

00:04 We are, we, we, sorry, that will be coming soon.

00:09 We spoke about it again with Prime Minister Kishida when I was in Washington.

00:15 There aren't any real conflicts in principle.

00:20 It's just a question of getting the language down and defining precisely how it's going

00:26 to work, the logistical systems and how that's going to work.

00:30 But it should not take very much longer.

00:32 I think we're very close to completion of that.

00:36 Okay, sir.

00:37 Just a follow-up.

00:38 Sure.

00:39 Filipino comfort women who are still seeking World War II justice and reparations are raising

00:44 concerns about the RAA.

00:46 How do you ensure that this agreement doesn't compromise the country's interest?

00:51 And which country do you think should take custody of Japanese soldiers committing crime

00:56 on Philippine soil?

00:58 I cannot see how the reciprocal agreement would affect any of that.

01:04 It is entirely, it essentially talks about that we, Japan allows us to make ports of

01:13 call in Japan and vice versa.

01:18 How it will possibly affect the issue about comfort women and the, what allegations that

01:25 are made against war criminals during the Second World War, I cannot see how it will

01:33 bleed into that.

01:34 I think it's quite distinct and discreet in its effect.

01:39 About the custody, sir.

01:42 The custody.

01:43 The custody of erring Japanese servicemen on Philippine soil.

01:49 Which country do you think should take custody of these Japanese servicemen in case RAA is

01:55 approved?

01:58 Oh.

02:01 It's not the same as a visiting forces agreement.

02:05 That I think is, that's not similar.

02:11 We've had problems with that with the Americans, some American forces as we all know.

02:18 But that's not, it's very, very different from what the reciprocal agreement will be

02:27 with the Japanese.

02:29 It's not going to be as if it's their base and the people, their seamen will come down

02:39 and will go into the city and go into, I don't think that that's part of the agreement.

02:46 I don't think that's part of the agreement.

02:47 I think it's a different agreement.

02:48 I think it's a different agreement.

02:49 I think it's a different agreement.

02:50 I think it's a different agreement.

02:55 I think it's a different agreement.

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