Honorable Eduardo G. Batac, Undersecretary,
Department of National Defence;
Honorable Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla,
Governor of Leyte;
Honorable Carlo Loreto,
Vice Governor of Leyte;
Honorable Remedios Petilla,
Mayor of Palo;
Distinguished Veterans and Guests;
Distinguished Colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great honor for me to join you all today in the commemoration of the 69th Leyte Gulf Landings. Standing on the shore for today's ceremony, let me first of all pay my greatest tribute to all those who had fought and fallen, and express our heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse for such a tragedy.
We have learned the lessons of history. Japan was reborn as a peace loving nation since the end of the last world war． The people of Japan fiercely support our constitution which denies war as sovereign right of the nation. And also in addition to this, Japan is now trying to make a positive contribution to the peace in the world.
At the same time, I also reflect on this podium how the relationship between the former opponents has changed. In this context, I am deeply moved by the noble spirit of reconciliation and the sense of fairness of the Filipino people．
This year, 2013, is the 57th year of the normalization of diplomatic relations between our two countries. We have seen the expansion of our cooperation ranging from only trade, investment and economic cooperation to strategic partnership, including security and cultural and human exchanges.
Today, Japan and the Philippines have renewed hope and sense of unity in building a future based on common values such as democracy, peace and rule of law. The successful visit by Prime Minister Abe in last July is just a testament of this relationship. In this connection, H.E. President Aquino has declared in the Bataan speech that "The country we considered an enemy is now a trusted friend."
Lastly but not the least I am truly confident that Japan and the Philippines will work more closely together to overcome the many challenges we face and ultimately to bring about peace and prosperity for all.
Maraming salamat po at mabuhay tayong lahat!
