BY EMILY VITAL
Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 40, November 11-17, 2007
Not only Filipinos thumb down the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Japanese nationals and organizations have signed a petition asking the Philippine Senate to reject the agreement.
Japanese citizens vs JPEPA
In a list sent through email to No Deal! JPEPA, Movement against Unequal Economic Agreements, at least 31 organizations based in Japan have signified their protest against JPEPA.
Most of these groups are trade unions and non-government organizations. Among them are different chapters of Asia Wide Campaign, National Union of General Workers (NUGW), Sons and Daughters of Atomic Bomb Survivors (Hibaku Nisei no Kai), AASJA (Anti-Invasion Asian Student Joint Action), NUGW Caregivers’ Union (NUGW Kaigoroudousyakumiai) and Okinawa Government Employees Mutual Benefit Association Labor Union (Okinawa kannkourou kyousaikai syokuin roudoukumiai).
As of press time, the petition (www.petitiononline.com/NoDeal/petition.html) has generated 358 signatures from the Philippines, Asia and as far away as Europe. The No Deal! JPEPA initiated the signature drive last October 15.
No Deal! JPEPA
Arnold Padilla, spokesperson of No Deal!JPEPA said, “The peoples of the Philippines and of Japan are in solidarity against the JPEPA. The Japanese citizens themselves oppose the lopsidedness of the agreement. Unlike their government, Japanese citizens do not want to invade the Philippines for the second time albeit in the sphere of economy.”
The No Deal! JPEPA was publicly launched November 9 at a forum in University of the Philippines Diliman. Joining the affected sectors were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Prof. Roland Simbulan and Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran.
In his speech, Guingona said that under JPEPA, Japan will have access to the country’s exclusive economic zones (EEZ). “Anong mangyayari sa Filipino fishermen (What will happen to Filipino fishermen) if Japanese fishing vessels will come in? May sarili silang EEZ, doon na lang sila. (They have their own EEZ, let them stay there..)
Guingona also said that if the Senate signs the agreement, it is tantamount to ‘giving up our rights to make amendments.’
Meanwhile, Senator Ma. Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal delivered a solidarity message. “JPEPA is a sellout of the nation’s interest. This shows that the Macapagal-Arroyo government has moved unilaterally to deprive the Philippines of sovereignty, and to deprive the Filipino people of economic independence.”
She added, “I ask this coalition to pressure the senators to vote ‘No’ to this agreement.”
Represented in the alliance are workers through the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May 1st Movement); peasants and fisherfolk organizations Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Pamalakaya; victims of Japanese sexual abuse during the war Lila Filipina; nurses and other health workers, Alliance of Health Workers; overseas Filipino workers, Migrante International; environmentalists, Kalikasan People’s Network. Leaders and members of trade unions in several Japanese corporations based in Southern Tagalog were also present.
Effects
Fernando Hicap, chairperson of Pamalakaya, said, “Kawalan ng hanapbuhay at matinding kagutuman ang hatid ng JPEPA sa daan-libong mangingisda.” (JPEPA spells hunger and unemployment for hundreds of thousands of fisherfolk.)
Dr. Leah Paquiz of the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) revealed that Filipino nurses will be treated as nursing trainees in Japan and will be given an allowance way below the cost of living in Japan. She said, “Ang gobyerno namin, walang programa para sa amin pero hindi namin ibebenta ang integridad ng aming propesyon.” (Our government has no program for us but we will not sell out the integrity of our profession.)
Padilla said, “What unites these sectors is their opposition to Japanese imperialism which is behind the JPEPA. In dealing with its own economic crisis, Japan wishes to extract profits from Third world countries like the Philippines by getting the maximum privileges for their investments – cheap labor, low tariff and taxes and natural resources.”
Padilla added, “Unfortunately, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is more than willing to surrender whatever little is left of the country’s sovereignty that has previously been eroded by neoliberal policies. Opening the door completely to imperialist plunder is tantamount to treason.”
Others who signed the petition were National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, Fr. Rudy Abao, MSC, Sr. Ellen Belardo, RGS, University of the Philippines Prof. Connie Paz. (Bulatlat.com)
