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House adopts resolution expressing sincere condolences on death of PM Abe

August 1, 2022 Ryan Ponce Pacpaco 269 views

THE House of Representatives on Monday adopted a resolution expressing its sincere condolences on the death of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Mr. Abe passed away on July 8. He was 67.

House Resolution (HR) No. 121 was principally introduced by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe and House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, and senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

House members extended their deepest condolences to former Prime Minister Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the people of Japan.

They said the world has lost an outstanding and great leader.

“Prime Minister Abe’s legacy as a prolific and illustrious leader made him the most notable Japanese politician of the last three decades who tirelessly campaigned for peace and multilateralism,” the resolution reads.

“The untimely passing of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe leaves a huge vacuum among the ranks of world leaders in the international community and in the hearts of the Japanese people for whom he devoted a great part of his life to serve: Now, therefore, be it,” it said

On July 8, 2022, Abe, the longest- serving Prime Minister in the history of Japan, passed away in Nara, Japan, at the age of 67;

Former Prime Minister Abe was shot while delivering a campaign speech and later died in hospital.

Former Prime Minister Abe was born on September 21, 1954 in Tokyo, Japan to parents, Yoko Kishi and Shintaro Abe, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; he was the grandson of Nobusuke Kishi former Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960; and great-nephew of Eisaku Satō who was also Prime Minister of Japan from 1964 to 1972.

The resolution said former Prime Minister Abe obtained a degree from the Department of Political Science and the Faculty of Law from Seikei University in Tokyo in 1977, and studied English, political science, international relations, and history at the University of Southern California in the United States from 1978 to 1979.

Former Prime Minister Abe began his political career as Executive Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1982; Member of the House of Representatives representing the Fourth District of Yamaguchi in 1993; and was reelected in seven consecutive elections from 1996 to 2022.

He also served as Trustee of the Committee on Health and Welfare, and Director of Social Affairs Division of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1999; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Second Mori Cabinet in 2000; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of the First Koizumi Cabinet and Second Mori Cabinet in 2001; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of the First Koizumi Cabinet in 2002; Secretary General of the LDP in 2003; Acting Secretary General and Chairperson of Reform Promotion Headquarters of the LDP in 2004; Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Third Koizumi Cabinet in 2005; President of LDP in 2006; Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007; and again Prime Minister and President of LDP in 2012 to 2020.

“He was admired for his uncompromising foreign policy which upheld international agreements on democracy, and maritime and regional security; and tenaciously promoted his signature economic policy called the “Abenomics” that stimulated the Japanese economy by increasing fiscal supply and government spending on major public infrastructure projects that sped up the recovery of the nation after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami,” the resolution said.

“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also highly-regarded as a political strategist who twice guided the Liberal Democratic Party to victory and whose sound domestic policies on health, tourism, social welfare, protection of women, and gender employment promoted Japan not only as a beautiful nation but also a country with a strong presence in military and international affairs,” it said.

“As the Philippines’ second largest trading partner in 2007 and its top trading partner in 2015, Japan developed a strong relationship with the Philippines during the term of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, wherein several projects  were awarded to the Philippines, including   5.2 million dollar grant for the purchase of counter-terrorism equipment; 23.5 billion peso loan for COVID-19 resp nse; One trillion yen assistance to the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program; and aid for the completion of infrastructure projects including the Metro Manila Subway project,” it added.

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