Activists Swim 10km to Oppose JPEPA, Challenge Senators to Reject Pact

Activists from the NO DEAL! Movement today swam a distance of around 10 kilometers as part of continuing efforts to convince the Senate to reject the flawed Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). “This is a challenge to our senators to say a ‘categorical no’ to Japan instead of a ‘conditional yes’ as proposed by Senator Miriam Santiago,” NO DEAL! Movement spokesperson Arnold Padilla said.

The activists set off from the coastal village of Barangay Maliksi 2 in Bacoor, Cavite and swam the murky waters of Manila Bay all the way to the Senate. Santiago, who chairs the upper chamber’s Committee on Foreign Relations, has proposed a so-called “conditional concurrence” on the JPEPA. The plan is seen by some quarters as a “polite way” of saying no to Japan.

Padilla said that the 14th Senate should emulate the courageousness of the 8th Senate that issued an uncompromising rejection of the US bases treaty in 1991. “Our senators then were able to turn down the world’s only superpower and largest economy, and also the country’s most important trade and investment partner. The bottom line then, as today, was national interest,” Padilla noted.

The anti-JPEPA group described conditional concurrence as a dangerous ploy that could backfire and undermine the country’s economic sovereignty and patrimony. “The proposal does not address our concerns on the very real threat of the treaty on our resources, industries, jobs and livelihood, environment, and policy options,” Padilla argued.

He pointed out that the proposed conditional ratification and the subsequent request of Malacañang to defer the JPEPA are admission of the serious flaws of the treaty. “We don’t think that there will be an economic nor diplomatic backlash if we reject the agreement. Santiago herself declared that even without the JPEPA, the country will remain an important partner of Japan,” said Padilla.

Padilla said that when the Philippines rejected the US bases treaty, the country earned the respect of the world as a small nation that dared to stand up against a giant in the name of national interest. “A similar historic opportunity is presenting itself to the Senate as an institution. We hope its members will not let it pass”, argued Padilla.

Meanwhile, NO DEAL! Movement affiliate Health Sector Alliance against the JPEPA also held a protest action outside the Senate to demand the rejection of the controversial agreement. Nurses, student nurses, doctors and health workers from various hospitals and universities joined the protest to rebut the government claim that they will benefit under the JPEPA.

NO DEAL! Movement has launched its “Wanted: Patriotic 8″ campaign to muster the minimum eight votes needed to reject the treaty if it reaches the plenary for ratification. The Monday actions form part of the said campaign. Padilla said that they will also continue to hold talks with senators to lobby for a non-ratification of the controversial deal. (END)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.