China looms large as Philippines-Japan defence pact heads for Senate showdown

On July 8, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), enabling the two nations to jointly train troops and provide mutual aid during natural disasters. However, the full text of the RAA remains shrouded in secrecy, known only to the presidential palace and the agreement’s signatories.

That veil of confidentiality is unlikely to lift until the Philippine Senate formally reviews the pact on July 22 when it reconvenes. Historically, the upper house has been slow to approve foreign treaties, and the influential head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Imee Marcos – the president’s own sister – has vowed to scrutinise “every word” of the document in the “national interest”.

While she has yet to directly criticise the new defence agreement with Japan, she has made clear the Senate Foreign Relations Committee she chairs will subject “every line and every word” of the treaty to intense scrutiny to ensure it aligns with the national interest. However, she has also said the Philippines should welcome “stronger security ties with our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Under Senate rules, the pact must be referred to the committee, undergo three readings and secure approval through a two-thirds vote – or at least 16 senators. With elections looming in May next year, lawmakers have only until early February to ratify the treaty if Japanese forces are to participate in the annual Balikatan military exercises scheduled for next year.

Further complicating matters, six other international agreements remain pending in the Senate, placing additional demands on lawmakers’ limited bandwidth.

But with polls less than a year away,