Japanese solons curious why JPEPA still not ratified--Gordon
Japanese lawmakers, including former prime minister Shinzo Abe and the minister of trade and industry, are curious why the Philippine Senate has still not ratified the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), Senator Richard Gordon said Monday.
"Let's approve [JPEPA] already," he said.
Gordon, who went to Japan two weeks ago, said he was deluged with questions about the controversial agreement when he met with some members of the Japanese Diet (parliament).
"They are curious why we still have not ratified the treaty when all the other EPAs [economic partnership agreements] with other Asian countries have gone into force. They said the [JPEPA] has been signed a long time ago," he told reporters in a press conference.
The JPEPA was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and then Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi in Helsinki on September 9, 2006.
At the same time, Gordon said Philippine Ambassador to Tokyo Domingo Siazon said Japan is unlikely to agree to the "conditional concurrence" proposed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee.
Gordon agrees with Siazon's position and said: "I want to get the job done…To give it back to the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs]. I don't think Japan will agree on it."
Critics fear the treaty would open the country up to the dumping of Japanese toxic wastes, among other issues. By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net
"Let's approve [JPEPA] already," he said.
Gordon, who went to Japan two weeks ago, said he was deluged with questions about the controversial agreement when he met with some members of the Japanese Diet (parliament).
"They are curious why we still have not ratified the treaty when all the other EPAs [economic partnership agreements] with other Asian countries have gone into force. They said the [JPEPA] has been signed a long time ago," he told reporters in a press conference.
The JPEPA was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and then Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi in Helsinki on September 9, 2006.
At the same time, Gordon said Philippine Ambassador to Tokyo Domingo Siazon said Japan is unlikely to agree to the "conditional concurrence" proposed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee.
Gordon agrees with Siazon's position and said: "I want to get the job done…To give it back to the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs]. I don't think Japan will agree on it."
Critics fear the treaty would open the country up to the dumping of Japanese toxic wastes, among other issues. By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net
Labels: japan, jpepa, Sen. Richard Gordon
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