THE PHILIPPINE Senate on late Monday approved on second reading a resolution calling for concurrence in Manila’s Reciprocal Access Agreement with Tokyo, which would ease the entry of military equipment and troops for combat training between their militaries.
Both countries signed the deal in July amid China’s increased assertiveness in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s overlapping claims conflict with those of several Southeast Asian nations.
A United Nations-backed tribunal based in the Hague in 2016 voided China’s expansive claims in the sea for being illegal. Beijing has ignored the ruling.
Senate President Francis G. Escudero earlier said the Senate can do away with the three-day rule in approving measures since the pact is a treaty. He said the treaty is likely to be approved this week even as lawmakers finalize next year’s national budget.
The Philippines has a visiting forces agreement with the United States and Australia. Tokyo, which hosts the biggest concentration of US forces abroad, has a similar deal with Australia and Britain, and is negotiating another with France.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has said her country’s partnership with Manila is not targeted against any country but aims to boost efforts towards peace and stability in the region.
Tokyo has pledged P611 million in radar systems, inflatable boats and other maritime equipment to boost Manila’s capacity to patrol its maritime territory. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
