House solons slam Senate ratification of Jpepa

MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers on Thursday slammed the Senate's ratification of the controversial Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), reiterating that the Philippines is on the losing end of the controversial trade deal. Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III, a vice chairman of the House special committee on globalization and the World Trade Organization, said he is disappointed with the "simple concurrence" of the 16 senators who agreed to ratify the deal late Wednesday night. "While I salute the four senators that dissented, it seems that the others turned a blind eye not only on the inherent infirmities of the treaty but all the utter uselessness of the so-called exchange of notes between Foreign Affairs Minister Koumura and DFA Secretary Romulo that was supposed to address the constitutional questions—land ownership, control over resources, right to operate public utilities - on Jpepa. Job and industries are on the line," said Tañada in a statement. Tañada insisted that the exchange of notes is just "a shared understanding between the two parties" and is not integral to the treaty. He added that even if it was an integral part of the Jpepa, paragraph 4 provides that it "does not modify the rights and obligations of the parties under the provisions of the Jpepa," thereby rendering the exchange of notes "inutile." He also asked why the Philippines was not able to get better deals with Japan when other countries did. Akbayan party-list and deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel likewise said the exchange of notes does not amend the provisions of the agreement. In a statement, she called the Jpepa ratification "a collective act of betrayal" as she lauded the four senators who opposed the deal's ratification. "It was not a vote ratifying a bilateral agreement. It was effectively a vote to junk the Philippine Constitution and our sovereignty," she said. "The trick is in the fine print. The Constitution still remains, but the shared understanding between Japan and the Philippines simple meant that the Jpepa will supersede the highest law of the land. If that is not betrayal, then I don't know what is," said Hontiveros, explaining that under international law, a party cannot invoke internal law - including its Constitution - as a reason for not enforcing the provisions of an agreement. Hontiveros said Akbayan will question the constitutionality of the agreement before the Supreme Court. "Despite the Senate vote, it's still lopsided and constitutionally-infirm. It will not bring in a tide of economic growth but a tsunami of unfair trade and toxic wastes. We have said it before and we are saying it again- Jpepa's ratification is tantamount to committing national suicide," she said. - GMANews.TV