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JAPANESE
government leaders have acknowledged valid concerns
raised in the Senate on the ratification of the
Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa)
that relates to its constitutionality, Sen. Mar Roxas II
reported on Thursday.
“For the
sake of Japan-Philippines relations, I told them that
it’s important for us to have a meeting of minds on this
issue, and put this in writing in an official exchange
of letters. They understand how important this issue is
to us, and I’m glad to report that they assured us that
they will certainly respect our Constitution,” said
Roxas.
But
Roxas, who chairs the Senate Committee on Trade and
Commerce, asserted that “in all trade agreements, our
national sovereignty and interest must be paramount.”
This
developed as Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile told the Kapihan sa
Senado media forum, also on Thursday, that there were
enough votes to ratify the Jpepa despite misgivings by
some sectors over legal and environmental issues in the
bilateral accord.
“I
think, as of now, my reading is that we have the votes,”
said Enrile, who echoed warnings that failure to ratify
the Jpepa would put Philippine exports at a disadvantage
in the Japanese market.
Enrile
said he believed the two-thirds or 16 votes required to
ratify the accord can be mustered “based on my
conversation with other [senators]. I don’t know if they
changed their minds.”
Enrile
also welcomed a Supreme Court ruling affirming executive
privilege in signing the Jpepa accord. “Personally, I
would say that the position of the Supreme Court is a
correct position. In shaping foreign policy, our
relations with other nations, the President is
supreme…she must be given enough flexibility, leeway and
discretion to shape foreign policy according to her best
lights in viewing the national interest.”
But Sen.
Rodolfo Biazon disagreed, saying the latest decision of
the Supreme Court declaring that executive
privilege may be invoked in the debates on the Jpepa
strains the credibility and impartiality of the Supreme
Court.
“The
Executive department transmitted the Jpepa for
ratification by the Senate on 17 August 2007. This
means that even the Executive agrees to the proposition
that the Senate’s ratification is required for the
agreement to be effective.”
“Ratification is a process that would entail public
debate. How can public debate be proper if executive
privilege will be invoked, denying the public of certain
information which is necessary for public acceptance
through the Senate of the proposed treaty or agreement?
There can be no public debate if information is withheld
from the public,” said Biazon.
The NO
DEAL! Movement agrees with Biazon. In a statement, the
advocacy group said the SC decision upholding secrecy in
the negotiations on the controversial trade agreement
“will set a dangerous precedent on future economic pacts
that the Philippines will enter into.”
The NO
DEAL! Movement is worried the SC ruling “will embolden
the executive branch to enter into more trade and
investment agreements and make commitments without due
regard to their harsh effects on various sectors,
especially the poor and marginalized.”
The
Philippines has pending negotiations for similar trade
pacts with the European Union, the US, China, among
others.
Roxas,
meanwhile, came upon the information on the thinking of
Japanese officialdom during a brief visit to Tokyo this
week when he met with ranking Japanese officials,
including Nobutaka Machimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary;
Masahiko Komura, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Yasuhisa
Shiozaki, Member of Parliament and former Chief Cabinet
Secretary; and Taro Aso, MP and former Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
The
Senate is expected to start plenary debates on the Jpepa
when Congress reconvenes regular sessions late this
month. The trade accord was signed by President Arroyo
and former Japanese Primer Minister Junichiro Koizumi in
2006 but the agreement continues to meet strong
opposition from concerned groups, who questioned
Japanese commitment to comply with the Philippine
Constitution provisions affected by the accord.
To
settle the matter, Sen. Miriam Santiago, foreign
relations committee chairman, recommended that the
Senate give its conditional concurrence, prompting
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to ask for some
time to discuss the concerns about the Constitution with
his Japanese counterparts. |
