Former Gov. Arthur Yap remembers his friend former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as he expressed profound sadness regarding the untimely demise of the latter.
Yap expressed his sentiments during the radio interview on July 13, 2022 over Open Forum hosted by Atty. Greg Austral and Dave Albarado.
He recalled the first time he met Abe in 2006 where the former visited Japan as part of the official entourage of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Yap was a member of Macapagal-Arroyo’s cabinet during that time. It was at that time when Yap had the opportunity to know Abe.
Yap said that he met Abe during the latter’s first term as prime minister of Japan from 2016 to 2017. Abe returned as prime minister in 2012 and served until 2020.
The former governor said that even if Abe stayed as prime minister only for a year during the first term as Yap stayed in the Cabinet until 2010, there were instances when the two of them rekindled their acquaintances.
“There were a few times from 2006 to 2010 when I visited Japan, nga magkita mi, and maapil ko sa mga meeting ug maaapil pud sya [Abe], so continuous ang among interaction,” Yap explained.
Moreover, Yap said Abe comes from a political family where the latter’s grandfather was a prime minister and Abe’s father used to be a foreign minister of Japan. Abe also belongs to a powerful bloc inside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Even if Abe was not anymore the prime minister, he continued to be a member of the Japanese parliament, where Yap also had the opportunity to meet Abe again, during his time as third district congressman.
Yap expressed shock upon learning that Abe was asseasinated considering the strict gun control laws of Japan and the Japanese crime rate.
“I am very, very sad and shocked; actually, natinga ug nakurat ko sa maong hitabo kay sa Japan very strict sila sa gun control and ang level sa mga krimen nila didto is very, very low,” he said.
He added that based on reports the assailant allegedly has mental health problems and the weapon used in the assassination was homemade.
Abe was assassinated by a 41-year-old gunman during a campaign sortie in Nara, Japan on July 8, 2022.
Meanwhile, Yap took the opportunity to thank the nation of Japan for providing grants and loans to the Philippines to be used in various projects such as infrastructure.
Bohol has been a recipient of the grants and loans from Japan and these were used to build the Bohol Panglao International Airport and the new Loay’s Clarin Bridge. Yap, hinted that Japan could also fund the construction of the third bridge connecting Tagbilaran City to Panglao Island.