Rep. Alfred Delos Santos (House Deputy Majority Leader): I am hopeful Japan will stand with the Philippines in ensuring the freedom of navigation and fishing in our exclusive economic zone to the west, where we have long had common fishing grounds with all the fishermen of Southeast Asia and Japan, and to the east, where we have the Philippine Rise and the Philippine Sea.
Rep. Angelica Natasha Co (Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs): I appreciate PM Kishida’s priority on continuing ASEAN-Japan cooperation, a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” improving the capabilities of the Philippine Coast Guard, and new ways of defense cooperation.
Rep. Bernadette Herrera (House Deputy Minority Leader): In my eyes, Japan is the real and balanced leader here in the Western Pacific region because of its productive and harmonious interaction with its neighbors. We in Congress resoundingly welcomed PM Kishida’s remarks on adherence to rules and peaceful means regarding the seas shared with the rest of Southeast Asia. We strongly appreciate the ongoing active engagement of Japan and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with the Philippines, ASEAN, and the rest of the world. Japan is a faithful partner of the Philippines in economic development and geopolitical stability.