Bongbong Marcos mourns death of ‘visionary leader’ Shinzo Abe

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a news conference at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan June 18, 2020.  (REUTERS)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a “visionary leader who saw Japan through its most difficult times”, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Friday.

Marcos made the remark as he mourned the death of Abe who died after being shot while on a campaign stop in Nara, Japan.

“It is with shock and deep sadness that I learned of the passing of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo,” Marcos said in a Facebook post.

“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 recalled the “decisive and effective assistance” that Abe extended to the Philippines through the years.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.   (File photo / ROBINSON NIÑAL)

“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.

“The decisive and effective assistance he extended to the Philippines and the warmth he demonstrated in the numerous visits he made to our country will never be forgotten, and will be written as one of the most exceptional periods in our bilateral history,” he added.

Reuters reported that a man opened fire on Abe from behind with an apparently homemade gun.

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