Philippines open to holding exercises with Japan

TOKYO (AA) – The day after ordering the cessation of joint patrols between Philippines and United States forces, the Philippines president has said that he is open to holding exercises with Japan, but was non committal about a visiting forces agreement.

Rodrigo Duterte told a group of Japanese and Filipino businessmen in Tokyo on Wednesday that he wanted all foreign troops out of his country within “maybe two years” and he was willing to revoke the base-hosting agreements with the U.S.

On Thursday, Duterte told reporters on the third and last day of a state visit to Japan that he was open to such patrols with his host.

"Joint exercises?" Yes, of course...No problem," he said while visiting Japan Coast Guard headquarters in Yokohama.

According to Yonhap News, he was however noncommittal when asked about the Philippines forging a visiting forces agreement with Japan -- initially raised during the time of his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

Duterte underlined that Japan had not brought up the matter during his visit.

Asked if Japanese patrol vessels to be acquired by the Philippines could take part in patrols in the South China Sea, the Philippine leader said, "Yes, within our territorial waters."

In the past year a long-running dispute between Japan and China over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea has raised the risk of an unintended military clash Asia’s two largest economies.

The Philippines and China, meanwhile, have shown a desire to mend fences after a July 12 award in Manila's favor by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague dealt a blow to China's extensive claims in the sea.

"If you want, we have no problem with that. I do not think China would stop us. Japan would just be going there and making a cruise. As a matter of fact, I also told them, they can go near my territorial waters, and park there if you want," Yonhap quoted Duterte as saying.

Japan has committed to provide the Philippines coast guard with 10 vessels through a loan, which will be delivered through 2018, along with another pair of large-scale patrol vessels.

It has also said it would provide Manila with high-speed boats and other equipment to help the Philippines boost its anti-terrorism capabilities.

Daesh-linked group the Abu Sayyaf has recently increased kidnap-for-ransom activities in sea-lanes between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, frequently kidnapping foreign-flagged tugboats and crews.

Duterte's visit is reported to have yielded investment commitments worth $1.85 billion from private companies.

Philippines Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez told Kyodo that the investments are in automotive, egg-laying technology, optical imagery, biofuel fields, and other areas.

He added that the amount does not include possible fresh commitments from such big Japanese companies as Marubeni and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. that had brief meetings with Duterte on Thursday afternoon.