Senate rejection of JPEPA seen
Inquirer 09/28/2007
Senate rejection of JPEPA seen
By Dona Pazzibugan
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — After three hearings, the proposed trade treaty between the Philippines and Japan is on the verge of defeat in the Senate after government officials again failed to convince the senators of the treaty’s benefits to the country.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the foreign relations committee, said Thursday she was considering not submitting a committee report on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) to the Senate plenary.
She said if she had to submit a report, it would only recommend that the Senate not ratify the Jpepa.
At Thursday’s hearing, groups opposed to the treaty even managed to impress Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon.
Siazon commended Junk JPEPA lawyer Golda Benjamin for her “excellent, thorough, articulate and well-researched” arguments that the treaty would promote the entry into the Philippines of toxic and other hazardous waste from Japan.
Under JPEPA, the tariff rates for hazardous waste would be reduced to zero.
Siazon, who flew back to Tokyo after the hearing, said the Philippines needed the support of a “technologically advanced” country like Japan to deal with its own hazardous waste.
Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla, meanwhile, stunned the senators when he disproved the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ claim that Japan would not export hazardous waste to the Philippines.
Padilla said the Department of Health had “concerns” that the treaty would allow for reciprocity, meaning that both the Philippines and Japan could export hazardous waste to each other.
“While we agree with the noble objectives of the JPEPA, we feel we do live in an imperfect world,” he said.
Santiago told reporters during a break in the hearing: “If this were a boxing match, I already gave the first two rounds to those against the JPEPA. Today, I still give round three to those opposed to the JPEPA.”
