The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan was endorsed and sent to the plenary on Monday.
The RAA allows Filipino soldiers to undergo joint combat training with their counterparts in Japan.
“In principle, it was endorsed into the plenary. So we’re trying to iron out issues about jurisdiction and the privileges to be extended to the Japanese visiting forces as well as the civilian component,” Senator Imee Marcos, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chair, said.
The senator also emphasized that the Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the US is different from the Japan treaty.
The Philippines and the US have the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows U.S. forces to be stationed in certain areas of the Philippines for joint training, exercises, and humanitarian missions.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro also clarified that the RAA is not a military-basing agreement.
“Article 4 states clearly that it is not a military basing agreement which is prohibited under our laws,” Teodoro on Monday told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which began its ratification hearings on the treaty.
“Article 4 states clearly that it is not a military basing agreement, which is prohibited under our laws,” Teodoro explained.
While the agreement was signed in July, it needs to be ratified by the Senate before it comes into effect, as required by the 1987 Constitution.
In his opening statement to the panel led by Marcos, Teodoro, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said Japan is also a supplier of domain awareness capabilities to the Philippines and a heavy contributor to humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
“Therefore it was deemed proper that defense and security cooperation and a reciprocal access agreement be entered into so that our personnel can train side by side and exercise scenarios side by side in the aim of increasing trust and confidence amongst each other,” he said.
The RAA has a total of 29 articles “and none of the articles in the RAA shall be construed to mean an amendment of any domestic law or much less a constitutional provision,” Teodoro said.
