To: To the President of the Philippines, to the Senate of the Philippines, and to the Japanese GovernmentURGENT PETITION
WHEREAS we Filipinos and our supporters from all over the world and all walks of life are banded together to express our grave concern about the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA);
WHEREAS many provisions of the JPEPA are in contravention of many Philippine laws and international commitments bearing upon environmental protection, labor migration, trade, investments, economic policy, intellectual property, and other fundamental concerns, in effect usurping legislative and treaty ratification powers that the Philippine Constitution has vested in both Houses of Congress and in the Senate, respectively;
WHEREAS JPEPA will encourage and, in effect, legalize the importation and dumping of toxic and hazardous wastes from Japan, thus leading to the violation of Philippine environmental laws and the undermining of our commitments under the Basel Convention;
WHEREAS the dumping of toxic wastes will foul the air, soil, water, and other resources, and put in jeopardy the health and life of the people;
We are therefore imploring the Senate to exercise its Constitutional power to scrutinize JPEPA clause by clause and to disapprove any and all provisions inimical to Philippine national interest and the welfare of the Filipino people.
We are further imploring the Senate to actively monitor the negotiations of all other bilateral and multilateral trade agreements being conducted and/or contemplated by the Philippine government;
For whatever purpose it may serve, we are also reminding Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), other branches of government such as the Legislative Branch, the Judiciary, and the Local Government Units (LGUs) that the prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people, and that the welfare of the people is the highest law; and
We fervently pray and hope that Her Excellency, the President, the Honorable Senators, DTI and DFA can give this Petition the importance that we firmly believe it deserves.
Sincerely,
The Filipino People
source:
http://www.petitiononline.com/JPEPA/petition.htmlLinkback:
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