Group challenges senators to clarify stand on JPEPA, pooh-poohs Miriam’s claim

MANILA, Philippines – The Magkaisa Junk JPEPA Coalition (MJJC) on Sunday challenged senators who signed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs report to clarify their positions on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). The coalition of more than 50 multisectoral groups also dismissed as “imaginary" JPEPA’s so-called advantages that were “trumpeted" by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. MJJC said it was apprehensive over Santiago’s statement that the ratification of the economic treaty in the Senate is “virtually assured" because 14 senators had already signed the report. “Enough of the rhetoric! We challenge the senators who signed the committee report to publicly clarify their positions on JPEPA," the coalition said. Senators Santiago, Manuel Roxas II, Richard Gordon, Ramon Revilla Jr, Rodolfo Biazon, Miguel Zubiri, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel Jr and Joker Arroyo signed the report with reservations. On the other hand, Senators Edgardo Angara, Juan-Ponce Enrile and Manuel "Lito" Lapid signed it without reservations. MJJC also believes that the economic partnership agreement with Japan would undermine the interest of Filipinos. “Because the Philippine negotiators have given away everything in JPEPA in exchange for nothing, the Senate must reject this lopsided treaty immediately," the group added. The coalition blasted Santiago’s forecast of explosive economic growth that JPEPA would generate. “Is this backed by solid research?" MJJC asked. The group said its studies showed that much of the economic treaty’s supposed gains are “imaginary, but the losses are great and real." In her privilege speech the previous week, Santiago mentioned that JPEPA would be advantageous to agriculture and exports. According to Santiago, JPEPA would instantly have a positive impact on farmers, fishermen and food processors. She added that 95 per cent of the country’s exports to Japan would immediately enjoy zero duties. "While the Philippines will drastically eliminate tariffs on agricultural products except for rice (5 tariff lines) and salt (1 tariff line), Japan excluded 651 tariff lines from tariff reduction under the JPEPA. They are discriminating against a lot of Philippine products, while our country has fully opened its doors to Japanese products," the MJJC said. According to MJJC, the claim of easier market access for electronics, furniture and automotive parts under the treaty is also not true. “Even without the JPEPA, these products already enter Japan duty-free. JPEPA will not change anything," the group added. It also said that the Philippines couldn’t take advantage of the duty-free provision for garments because the country’s raw materials do not come primarily from Japan or any of the ASEAN countries as required by the JPEPA Rules of Origin. Because JPEPA would open up the market for the importation of used four-wheel vehicles, the coalition called the economic partnership agreement as a “threat" to local automotive industry and “violative" of Executive Order 156, which prohibits the entry into the Philippines of second-hand vehicles. Based on development studies of a non-stock and non-profit organization, MJJC added that JPEPA would cause "agriculture wages decline" and the deterioration of "unemployment rate in agriculture labor" contrary to Sen. Santiago's projections. - GMANews.TV