Mount Samat, Philippines – Philippine President Benigno Aquino and the US and Japanese ambassadors on Thursday vowed to work closer together in facing new challenges like maritime security and “terrorism” at a World War II memorial event.
Aquino and the two envoys made the promise on the anniversary of the “Fall of Bataan” — marking the surrender of US and Philippine forces to Japanese invaders in 1942.
“We stand united with former allies and foes in continued pursuit of widespread peace and prosperity throughout the world,” Aquino said at the Mount Samat shrine overlooking the Bataan battlefield.
Aquino cited the swift assistance extended by the US and Japan particularly during disasters like Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 as an example of the generosity of these two countries.
“I wish to express our heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse for all who suffered during those fateful days. We all remember and never forget what happened here,” Japanese ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa said at the same event.
But he added that Japan had since become a democratic nation, a close partner and ally of the Philippines and US.
The Philippines and Japan have been broadening their security cooperation at sea as they both deal with their own respective maritime territorial disputes with an increasingly aggressive China.
The US has also been expanding its own defence cooperation with the two country’s as part it’s strategic “pivot to Asia”.
US ambassador Philip Goldberg hailed the valour of the Filipino and American soldiers in World War II and also praised the 44 Philippine police commandos who were killed in January while hunting down two militants on the FBI’s “most wanted terrorist” list.
Malaysian Zulkifli Abdhir was killed in the raid, while Filipino Abdul Basit Usman, who the US describe as a “bomb-maker”, escaped.
Manila Bulletin
