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| Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waves as he leaves after attending an EU - Korea Summit meeting at the European Council in Brussels. (Photo from John Tyra) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] MANILA: President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was shocked and saddened by the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, whom he described as a "visionary leader" and a "devoted friend of the Philippines." Abe, who was the longest-serving prime minister of Japan, was shot twice by a former member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force during a political campaign rally in the city of Nara. The former Japanese leader was rushed to a hospital but died several hours later, PhilStar reported.
"It is with shock and deep sadness that I learned of the passing of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. On behalf of the Philippine government and the Filipino people, among whom he counts many friends and admirers, I offer my most profound sympathies to his family and the entire Japanese nation," Marcos said in a statement. "Mr. Abe was a visionary leader who saw Japan through its most difficult times. He was a devoted friend and a supporter of the Philippines, and it was during his leadership that the Philippine-Japan relations truly flourished," he added.
Marcos said Abe's "decisive" and "effective" assistance to the Philippines and the warmth he had demonstrated during his numerous visits to the country would never be forgotten and would be written as "one of the most exceptional periods" in the bilateral history of Manila and Tokyo. "I earnestly hope and pray for strength for the Japanese nation during this time of mourning," the president added.
