Tokyo, Japan (CNN Philippines, February 11) – A Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Japan and the Philippines may be in the works, House Speaker Martin Romualdez told reporters.
“I think that’s ongoing…That’s what they call a work-in-progress. So there’s always conversations along those lines. And lines of communications are very, very wide open especially after the visit,” Romualdez said in an interview in Japan on Saturday. He is part of the Philippine delegation in President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ five-day official visit to Tokyo.
When reporters asked if he thought the talks would lead to a VFA, Romualdez said:
“I think that’s the general direction. We’re all in the same region and we’re all actually experiencing the same issues and concerns and the President says he always works multilaterally but that’s not without exception to having bilateral agreements, for instance, Philippines and Japan that would somehow effect like a trilateral agreement.”
He said the security talks between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began as early as September 2022, during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In a similar vein, the Philippines and Japan signed last Thursday the Terms of Reference concerning Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) activities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in the Philippines.
This simplified the JSDF’s visitation procedures to the Philippines to enhance and facilitate cooperation on HADR.
Marcos and Fumio also agreed to increase the defense capabilities of their own countries and strengthen security cooperation through strategic reciprocal port calls and aircraft visits, and the transfer of more defense equipment and technology.
Romualdez said that these security talks would mean capacity-building for the Philippines. “We are in the winning side of all of these types of arrangements or agreements because as you know, we still are a bit challenged when it comes to our defense capabilities,” he said.
Amid the possibility of backlash in response to a VFA between the Philippines and Japan, Romualdez clarified that Marcos’ foreign policy would lean towards peace and stability.
“[Marcos] is a friend of all and the enemy to none…The President feels that peace is the most important ingredient in any foreign policy declaration,” he said.
Last week, the Philippines and the United States agreed to expand their 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a supplemental deal to the two countries’ VFA.
The EDCA expansion drew China’s ire. Beijing said that act smeared China over the issue of the West Philippine Sea and would escalate tensions in the region because of increased US military presence.
Aside from the US, the Philippines has had an active VFA with Australia since 2012.
Senate President Miguel Zubiri, who is also a member of the Philippine delegation, likewise suggested that Marcos use the trip as an opportunity to forge a VFA with Japan.
READ: Zubiri: PH should consider visiting forces deal with Japan
CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.
