Japan offers help in fight vs terrorism
JAPAN has offered to provide equipment and other assistance to support the Philippines’ effort against terrorism, the country’s top diplomat announced.
This was on top of the P100 million aid that Tokyo vowed to extend to the displaced residents in Marawi City.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude for Japan’s generosity as well as its commitment in the fight against terrorism,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono at the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings.
According to Kono, Japan was “happy to step up” assistance to the Philippines.
Last Friday, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Shigeki Takizaki handed to Cayetano a letter of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for President Rodrigo Duterte regarding Tokyo’s offer of P100-million aid to help the displaced families in Marawi.
“I once again wish to assure the Japanese Government that we are exerting all efforts to expeditiously resolve the conflict in Marawi with due consideration to the safety of civilians and government forces, so that we may focus on rebuilding the city and restoring the lives of its people,” Cayetano said. SunStar Philippines