SEN. Mar Roxas II yesterday said there are "calculable and
definite" losses if Congress fails to ratify the Japan-Philippines Economic
Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
"Without preempting our committee report, and based on the
results of our hearings, I’ve concluded that there is not much gain that is
inherent in the treaty, as negotiated, thus far. But the loss arising from not
ratifying it is certainly calculable and definite," he said.
Roxas, chairman of the Senate committee on commerce and
trade, said his panel, together with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s committee
on foreign relations, is now preparing a draft report to be circulated among
senators for review before the month ends.
"I will circulate it among my colleagues and try to convince
them to come along on board. With respect to the treaty, it’s a two-thirds
[vote] requirement (in plenary). We’ll see what happens, whether in fact the 16
(votes) are available," he added.
As far as the issues concerning the constitutionality and
legality of the JPEPA treaty, he said he will defer final judgment to Santiago.
He said he has been consulting with Santiago who has so far said "she’s fairly
comfortable the Constitutional issues have been surmounted."
Roxas said he believes that JPEPA in and of itself "is not
providing us so much" in terms of real gains but its non-ratification would mean
definite losses to us. "Whatever potential gains there are in terms of increased
market access for Philippine goods into Japan will "require behavior by
Philippine businesses and the Philippine government that heretofore we have not
seen."
On the other hand, he said non-ratification would mean the
exclusion of the Philippines from the free trade area between Japan and members
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will be formalized in a few
months.
For instance, he noted that lower tariffs on particular goods
exported to Japan may not help much if not enough of these are produced in the
first place. In the automotive sector, Roxas said whether or not the treaty is
ratified, the Philippines would have to face greater competition with other
Asean countries with economic agreements with Japan in the manufacturing of
completely built units.
For nurses and caregivers, he said government could help through language
seminars and training those who are required to take an exam in Nihonggo. Roxas
had earlier said that JPEPA, in and of itself, will not cause the unbridled
entry of toxic wastes and hazardous substances from Japan. – JP Lopez
