MANILA, June 28 (PNA) -- The Japanese government echoed the proposal of the Philippines that a rule-based regime must prevail in the resolution of the Spratlys conflict.
In an interview with Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe during the send-off ceremony at the Japan Embassy in Manila for the Philippine medical team that will leave for Japan on Tuesday, he urged all claimant countries, including the Philippines, to settle the dispute amicably and let the rule of law prevail.
He said the Japanese government also wants a “peaceful solution to the problem” even as he sidestepped a query on Japan’s experience with alleged Chinese bullying tactics over similar territorial issues with China.
“Of course, peace and prosperity of not only on ASEAN but the international community, that is our main concern,” Urabe said.
“In essence, we would like to see a peaceful solution to the problems,” he also said.
Urabe added that “there should be rule of law, an international law, which governs the international seas and that is what we would like to see in the situation.”
A medical assistance team composed of three medical doctors from the Department of Health (DOH) has been dispatched to Japan undertake a 14-day medical mission in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake which devastated the North East region of Japan last March.
The Medical Assistance Team, composed of Dr. Ma. Paz P. Corrales, Dr. Aida L. Muncada and Dr. Sharon J. Triunfu, will attend to the medical needs and provide psychosocial counseling and stress debriefing to the disaster victims, particularly to Filipino nationals and their families.
The team will depart for Japan on June 28 and conclude their mission on July 13.
The Philippine team will engage in mobile medical assistance operations in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, centering in Ofunato City and Rikuzen-Takata City in the southern part of Iwate Prefecture. They will be accompanied by Japanese medical doctors and clinical psychologists as well as consular personnel from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.
With the completion of the necessary arrangements, the Japanese Government has decided to accept the Philippine medical team to Japan.
”The Government of Japan deeply appreciates the cooperation extended by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and hopes for the success of the medical team,” a statement from the Japanese Embassy here said.
PNA
