BAYAN Denounces Japanese Foreign Minister’s Visit as Escalation of Imperialist Militarism in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific Region

BAYAN Denounces Japanese Foreign Minister’s Visit as Escalation of Imperialist Militarism in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific Region

January 14, 2026

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) strongly condemns the upcoming visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to Manila on January 15, which reeks of further entrenchment of imperialist agendas in the Philippines. This high-level meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, under the banner of the so-called “Strengthened Strategic Partnership,” is nothing less than a brazen push to drag the Filipino people deeper into the U.S.-Japan war machine’s provocations in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.

Far from celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic normalization, this visit exposes the rotten core of Philippines-Japan ties: joint naval exercises, combined training with other puppets of U.S. imperialism, and the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that opens our shores to foreign troops. These are not partnerships of equals but chains binding the Philippines to Tokyo’s re-militarization drive and Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at encircling China. As the Philippines assumes ASEAN chairmanship this year, Marcos Jr.’s regime shamelessly prioritizes war games over genuine regional peace and diplomacy.

BAYAN asserts that the West Philippine Sea belongs to Filipinos, not to be pawned in superpower rivalries. We reject the DFA’s sugarcoating of “mutual concerns” as cover for escalating tensions that threaten our fisherfolk, coastal communities, and national sovereignty. Imperialist powers like Japan, with its history of aggression in Asia, have no right to dictate our seas or deploy their forces on our soil.

We call on the Filipino people to resist this sellout:
– Oppose all foreign military agreements, including the RAA, EDCA, and VFA, that turn the Philippines into a forward base for U.S.-Japan aggression.
– Demand an independent foreign policy free from imperialist dictation, prioritizing dialogue and sovereignty over militarism.
– Stand in solidarity with fisherfolk and frontline communities defending the West Philippine Sea from exploitation and war.

The masses will not allow our country to become cannon fodder in the imperialists’ games. Rise up against this visit and all acts of national treachery!