The Senate is planning to ratify the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan by next year.

In an interview with CNN Philippines Monday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the lawmakers are using the RAAs that Japan had with Australia and the United Kingdom as templates for the defense pact.

“We’re looking at a timeline of a year. Less than a year, probably. Maybe by the first half of next year, they can take this to the Senate and we can already ratify then,” Zubiri said.

He expressed confidence that he had more than 16 votes, or a vote of two-thirds from the Senate, which would be needed in ratifying the RAA.

Zubiri said the RAA was for interoperability and training of the military forces of the two countries.

“I don’t see anything wrong with this. There are groups that protested. They fear that they might commit abuses and violations,” he said.

“I think one of the most disciplined armies in the world is the Self Defense Forces of Japan…I don’t think we’ll have a problem with them when it comes to violations of our law. That is why we have the RAA because that will be now the guide. That will be now the framework wherein they have to follow the rule of law when they enter the Philippines,” he added.

Zubiri said it was his office that came up with the idea of having an RAA with Japan “because of the training we need for the ships they are delivering to us, the radar equipment, the additional ships that are coming. And so there’s interoperability and cross-training and our Coast Guard with their Self Defense Forces”.

Gabriela slammed Zubiri for supporting the RAA and for lauding the discipline of Japanese troops.

“We remind Senate President Zubiri that the Japanese army that they are welcoming is the same Japanese army that built a comfort station and raped thousands of women during World War II here in the Philippines and other countries they conquered. Neither ever acknowledged and apologized for the murders, mass rapes, and other atrocities against Filipino women. Is that what you call disciplined?” Gabriela Secretary-General Clarice Palce said in a statement released Monday. Jaspearl Tan/DMS