Noy to meet Japan’s Abe today

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will welcome President Aquino here this morning as they meet for a luncheon summit where they are expected to discuss developments in the region, including territorial disputes with China.

Aquino is expected to arrive on his Philippine Airlines chartered flight at 11 a.m. at the Tokyo Haneda International Airport, where he will be met by embassy officials led by charge d’affaires Gilberto Asuque, deputy chief of mission.

Representatives from the Japanese government led by Representative Hirotaka Ishihara, Parliamentary Vice Minister, Liaison Officer to the President Yudai Ueno and Security Officer to the President Inspector Masaoki Mikami, will also be present.

Aquino will proceed to the Old Prime Minister’s residence in Nagata-cho in Chiyoda-ku here, where he will be welcomed by Abe before they formally start their meeting, to be attended by both Philippine and Japanese officials.

Among the Philippine officials who will attend the summit are Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Assistant Executive Secretary Reynaldo Delantar and DFA Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto.

They will be joined by their Japanese counterparts Shinsuke Sugiyama (deputy minister of foreign affairs), Kato Katsunobu (deputy chief cabinet secretary), Kazuhide Ishikawa (director general, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Hiroshi Suzuki (executive secretary to Abe).

Both leaders will have a “working lunch” hosted by Abe and attended by Del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Gazmin, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Presidential Management Staff chief Secretary Julia Abad and Delantar.

Katsunobu, Sugiyama, Ishikawa and Suzuki will be on the Japanese side.

Abe and Aquino will also hold a meeting with the media where they will both issue press statements.

Aquino will then depart for Hiroshima where he will be welcomed by officials of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency led by president Akihiko Tanaka at the Sheraton Hotel.

Aquino will also meet his friend, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki.

After this event, the President will drop by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park where he will be given a tour, and attend wreath-laying ceremonies.

Aquino will depart for Manila at 8 p.m. and is expected to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 11 p.m.

‘Noy not missing in action’

Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday responded to criticisms that President Aquino has been missing in action, saying he is continuously performing his duties even if he is not seen in public.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino is “focusing on the daily business of governance” even if he is not attending events.

“Members of the Malacañang Press Corps know the daily activities of President Aquino. So he’s not missing in action,” Lacierda said in a press conference.

“He meets with various Cabinet officials, he meets various personalities, focusing on the daily business of governance,” he added.

Lacierda was asked to react to a piece written by STAR columnist Alex Magno, who noted that Aquino has not been seen in public since the Independence Day celebration in Naga. With Alexis Romero