12 senators sign pro-Jpepa report - Santiago

MANILA, Philippines - Twelve senators have already signed the committee report on a resolution seeking concurrence of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago announced Tuesday. The resolution is still going the rounds among senators as of posting time, and Santiago said that her “hopes are high that we will be able to get the two-thirds vote, that would be around 15 or 16." Signing with reservation were Santiago, Senators Manuel Roxas II, Richard Gordon, Ramon Revilla Jr, Rodolfo Biazon, Miguel Zubiri, Jose Estrada (with serious reservation), Francis Pangilinan (without prejudice to section 24, paragraph 4) and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Sen. Joker Arroyo, despite signing the resolution, said he had withheld his concurrence. "I witheld my concurrence, meaning I did not concur with the treaty because the two countries could not agree on the side agreement which was intended to resolve or cure the disdagreements between two countries," he said. Three senators – Edgardo Angara, Juan Ponce Enrile and Manuelito Lapid – signed the measure without reservation. The resolution is scheduled for sponsorship Wednesday. This development brought Jpepa closer to being ratified, which Santiago said could happen in September. “It (Jpepa) is edging towards ratification and I hope that will convince them (senators) tomorrow because we will lose a lot in terms of economic benefits if we do not concur," Santiago said. She added that with the absence of Jpepa, Japanese investment will go to other Southeast Asian countries. "We will be the odd man out," the lawmaker said. Santiago said that as a "Constitutional Law scholar," she believes that the issue on Jpepa’s constitutionality has already been dealt with when the Japanese government heeded her appeal that there should be a complete list of all the provisions of the Philippine Constitution, which allows economic activity only to Filipinos or Filipino-owned corporations at the level of 60, 70, or even 100 percent. "Since the constitutional proivisions of which I am very adamant for the past year have already been accepted by Japan, I have no more problems with it as a constitutional law scholar," she said. "In any event, there would be no more debate on constitutionality because the Japanese foreign minister has authorized the Japanese ambasador here to enter into an exchange of notes, presumably with (Foreign Affairs) Secretary Alberto Romulo," she added. Sen. Pia Cayetano, meanwhile, said she is not ready to support Jpepa since she does not think it will protect the needs of the Filipinos. "The Senate is supposed to concur if it believes that the needs of Filipinos have been aptly protected. I don't believe they were aptly protected. I believe that the terms could have been improved based on similar terms granted to neighboring countries. Therefore I am not ready to support Jpepa," she said. - GMANews.TV