(from Health Student's Action)
Dear Friends,
Please join the NO DEAL! Movement protest against the treacherous JPEPA ratification
tomorrow, October 10, 2:00 pm at the Japanese Embassy, along Roxas Boulevard, near EDSA flyover.
Please add your voice against this onerous agreement.
Details of further actions to follow.
By railroading JPEPA, Senate has
compromised the country's sovereignty and patrimony
Joint statement of NO DEAL! Movement and Bayan on the ratification of the JPEPA
October 9, 2008
Reference: Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo, NO DEAL! convenor and Bayan chairperson
The NO DEAL! Movement and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) strongly
condemn the Senate's railroading of the ratification of the Japan-Philippines
Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) on Wednesday night. Sixteen senators led
by JPEPA's sponsors Senators Miriam Santiago and Mar Roxas have compromised the
country's national patrimony and sovereignty by approving a patently one-sided,
anti-Filipino economic treaty.
We are not surprised that the JPEPA has been approved while the rest of the
country is not watching. This treaty has been negotiated by Malacanang and
signed by Ms Gloria Arroyo in virtual secrecy. The undemocratic and
non-transparent manner with which the deal has been conceived has resulted in a
seriously flawed agreement that threatens to further destroy the jobs and
livelihood of Filipino workers, farmers and fishers and further destroy local
industries and stunt long-term economic development. The Senate hearings on the
JPEPA have already exposed these defects of the agreement, as well as the
questionable gains of the treaty such as the supposed increased access of
Filipino nurses and health workers to Japan. The Senate hearings have also
exposed the JPEPA as unconstitutional as it violates the provisions of the 1987
Constitution on foreign ownership and investment among others.
Yet despite these obvious defects of the JPEPA, 16 senators still gave in to
the strong lobbying of Malacanang, the Japanese government, and Japanese
businesses and only four senators heroically stood for the national and
people's interests. We laud patriotic Senators Jamby Madrigal, Chiz Escudero,
Nene Pimentel and Noynoy Aquino for rejecting an agreement that will only
result in further underdevelopment and increased poverty and marginalization in
the country.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the senators of who voted for
JPEPA's ratification, some of whom have expressed presidential ambitions. This
early, tinimbang sila ngunit kulang (they were weighed but found
wanting). When the time came to test their mettle as political leaders, Senators
Roxas, Manny Villar, Loren Legarda and Ping Lacson were definitely found
lacking in nationalist credentials.
Today is a dark day for the country's sovereignty and patrimony but we vow to
continue our struggle against the JPEPA. We will use all available means - from
mass protests to the Supreme Court - to stop its implementation.
We believe in economic cooperation among countries such as through bilateral
trade and investment deals. But such cooperation must be founded on mutual
respect and benefit. JPEPA has completely failed to meet these basic and
non-negotiable requirements.
NO DEAL! Movement against unequal economic agreements is a coalition
composed of the following: CONVENORS Former Vice President Teofisto
Guingona Fr. Rudy Abao, MSC Anakpawis Representative Crispin
Beltran Rafael Mariano, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Nitz
Gonzaga, Kilusang Mayo Uno Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya Dr. Carol
Pagaduan-Araullo, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Jossel Ebesate, R.N.,
Alliance of Health Workers Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante Clemente
Bautista Jr. Kalikasan People's Network Rechielda Extremadura, Lila Filipina
Arman Albarillo, Bayan-Southern Tagalog Roy Velez, Bayan-NCR Ed Cubelo,
Toyoto workers union president Sonny Africa, Ibon Foundation Prof.
Roland Simbulan, UP Arnold Padilla, spokesperson
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