# Philippines-Japan Relations

Ghosts of Fort Santiago: Why the 1945 Manila Massacre Still Looms Over Regional Security

The 1945 Manila Massacre, particularly the atrocities at Fort Santiago, remains a powerful symbol of Japanese wartime brutality in the Philippines. As Manila and Tokyo move toward closer military cooperation, historical grievances are being leveraged by analysts to warn against the risks of resurgent militarism and the loss of Philippine strategic autonomy.