PH Congress convenes in special joint session for Japan PM Kishida address

The House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines respectively adopted a resolution on Saturday convening the Philippine Congress in a special joint session to receive and hear the message of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

This developed after the respective houses of Congress adopted House Concurrent Resolution 17 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 via a voice vote.

“Japan and the Philippines share the universal values of freedom and democracy and broad cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and rural development, tourism, education, human resources development, scientific and technological cooperations, health and sanitation, defense and security, disaster preparedness and climate change mitigation,” Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 read.

“Japan and the Philippines are reliable partners in the region and enjoy excellent bilateral relations. The Congress, in behalf of the Filipino people, warmly welcome Prime Minister Kishida,” the Resolution added.

Kishida is expected to address the Philippine Congress in a joint session at 11 am today.

Ahead of Kisihida’s address to the Philippine Congress, he had a bilateral meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. wherein the two leaders announced that the Philippines and Japan have begun talks on Reciprocal Access Agreement between its respective military forces.

During the same meeting, the Philippines and Japan also inked an Official Security Assistance grant aid worth 600 million yen or P235.5 million.

Under the pact, Japan will provide the Philippines with a coastal radar system meant to improve the Philippine Navy's defense awareness capability.

The Philippines and Japan both have sea disputes with China, with China claiming sovereignty on islands located in the Philippines and Japan’s exclusive economic zones as provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (200 nautical miles off territorial sea).

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro earlier said the key security pact with Japan would boost defense cooperation amid concerns over escalating tensions in the South China Sea, mainly Chinese aggression against Philippine vessels and Filipino fisherfolk.

'Go beyond military matters'

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, for his part, said Kishida should go beyond military matters in securing allyship with the Philippines.

“I will be extremely disappointed if the Japanese Prime Minister will only talk about military matters. The Philippines should not be 'militarized' by other countries as if they are preparing and volunteering the Philippines to be the next battleground,” Pimentel said in a statement.

“We should never allow that to happen, especially those of us who consider the Philippines as our one and only home, and not a practice battlefield for the big powers’ war games. Hence, I expect and want to hear more about how Filipino producers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs can access the Japanese market because the Japanese people want to help the Filipino People by patronizing our products. Trade, not aid!,” he added.

Pimentel said that although offers of financial assistance, grants, and concessions on relevant and productive areas are welcome, he wants to know if the Japanese government has grand plans to invest in the Philippines and subsequently create decent paying jobs for Filipinos with transfer of technology.

Bush being precedent

Back in October 2003, then United States President George Bush also addressed the Philippine Congress in a joint session to express US support to the Philippines’ anti-terrorism efforts, including those against Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah.

It was just seven months after the United States waged a war on Iraq and its then leader Sadam Hussein to eradicate terrorist groups, including the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 attacks in World Trade Center in New York that killed over 2,000 people.

Likewise, Bush then also expressed support to the Philippine government’s efforts to strike a peace agreement with the former separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Philippine government finally secured the said peace deal with the MILF in 2014 under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III. —KG, GMA Integrated News