Press Releases
Visit of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs ONISHI to the Philippines
(Monitoring the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election)
From September 13 to 15, Mr. ONISHI Yohei, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited Cotabato City, the Philippines.
1. Monitoring the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI, as the head of Japan’s election observer mission for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election held on September 14, visited three polling stations, COMELEC Command Center, Al Nor Hotel, and COMELEC Canvassing Center, Awang, in Cotabato City to check the voting and counting procedures.
(Note) Visited facilities
- Sero Central Elementary School
- Rojas Elementary School
- Notre Dame Village Elementary
- COMELEC Command Center, Al Nor Hotel
- COMELEC Canvassing Center, Awang
2. Exchange of Views with Dignitaries of the Philippines
(1) Meeting with Major-General (Ret.) Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III, GPH Co-Chair, Joint Peace Security Committee (JPSC)
On September 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI held a meeting with Major-General (Ret.) Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III, GPH Co-Chair, Joint Peace Security Committee (JPSC).
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI commended the efforts of Joint Peace Security Team (JPST) as a flagship initiative for the Mindanao peace process and expressed Japan’s continuing commitment to the Mindanao peace process.
GPH Co-Chair Felicidario welcomed the visit of Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI to Cotabato City and expressed his gratitude for Japan's support as a main donor to JPST.
(2) Meeting with Atty. Lona “Ona” Anne V Caritos, Executive Director, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE)
On September 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI held a meeting with Atty. Lona “Ona” Anne V Caritos, Executive Director, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and exchanged views on its activities as a nationwide election monitoring network and the situation surrounding election observation.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI also confirmed outcomes of voter education for this Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election provided by LENTE with support from the Government of Japan.
(3) Courtesy Call on Hon. Mel Senen Sarmiento, Presidential Advisor on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity
On September 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI paid a courtesy call on Hon. Mel Senen Sarmiento, Presidential Advisor on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI stated that Japan has consistently supported the Mindanao peace process for more than thirty years through various initiatives, such as decommissioning of combatants and weapons and vocational training, and will continue to cooperate with the Philippines towards the realisation of peace in Mindanao.
Hon. Sarmiento expressed his gratitude for Japan's dispatch of the election observer mission and its support already extended and explained the current situation and the outlook for the Mindanao peace process.