From September 13 to 15, Onishi Yohei, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited Cotabato City, the Philippines.

Onishi, as the head of Japan’s election observer mission for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election held on September 14, visited three polling stations. These are the Comelec Command Center, Al Nor Hotel, and Comelec Canvassing Center, Awang, in Cotabato City to check the voting and counting procedures.

The delegation visited Sero Central Elementary School, Rojas Elementary School, Notre Dame Village Elementary, Comelec Command Center, l Nor Hotel Comelec Canvassing Center, Awang.

On Sept. 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Onishi held a meeting with Major General (ret.) Francisco Ariel Felicidario III, Government of the Philippines co-chair, Joint Peace Security Committee (JPSC).

Onishi commended the efforts of Joint Peace Security Team as a flagship initiative for the Mindanao peace process and expressed Japan’s continuing commitment to the Mindanao peace process.

Felicidario welcomed the visit of Onishi to Cotabato City and expressed his gratitude for Japan's support as a main donor to JPST.

On September 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Onishi held a meeting with Lona Anne Caritos, executive director, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) and exchanged views on its activities as a nationwide election monitoring network and the situation surrounding election observation.

Onishi also confirmed outcomes of voter education for this Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election provided by Lente with support from the Government of Japan.

On September 13, during his visit to Cotabato City, Onishi paid a courtesy call on Mel Senen Sarmiento, Presidential Advisor on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

Onishi stated that Japan has consistently supported the Mindanao peace process for more than thirty years through various initiatives, such as decommissioning of combatants and weapons and vocational training, and will continue to cooperate with the Philippines towards the realization of peace in Mindanao.

Sarmiento expressed his gratitude for Japan's dispatch of the election observer mission and its support already extended and explained the current situation and the outlook for the Mindanao peace process. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan