Japan, Philippines, US hold first land forces chiefs meeting

MANILA, Philippines — Top-level officers of Japan, the Philippines and the United States armies agreed to enhance defense cooperation and promote initiatives among their units aimed at maintaining and enhancing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”

The first Japan-Philippines-United States Land Forces Chiefs Meeting was held on Sunday at Asaka Station in Japan.

The top five chiefs who attended the meeting were Japan Ground Self-Defense Force chief of staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, US Army Pacific Commanding General Gen. Charles Flynn, US Marine Corps Forces Commander LTG William Jurney, Philippine Army Commanding General LTG Romeo Brawner Jr., and Philippine Marine Corps Commandant MG Charlton Sean Gaerlan.

The event served as a venue for the military chiefs of Japan, Philippines and the US to discuss their opinions concerning strategic assessment.

The top-level officers agreed to promote defense cooperation such as holding a three-way meeting every year.

Yoshida said that the enhancement of relations among the three countries will greatly help prevent attempts to change the status quo by force and protect the international order based on law.

“Our armies have strong bilateral engagements with one another so having this trilateral cooperation is truly a great opportunity for us in the Philippine Army to further advance our capabilities,” Brawner said in a post-meeting press conference.

Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the trilateral meeting sets the stage for regularizing high-level talks among the Philippines, Japan and US ground forces and also strengthens future multilateral cooperation frameworks.

PNP, Indonesian police boost ties

Meanwhile, the police forces of the Philippines and Indonesia have strengthened their cooperation to thwart transnational crimes.

The agreement was brokered during a meeting between top officials of the Philippine National Police led by PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and their counterparts from the Indonesian National Police (INP) on Monday

The two sides set into motion bilateral discussion meetings in preparation from the joint Maritime Law Enforcement Exercises in 2023. – Michael Punongbayan, Emmanuel Tupas