DTI exec dares Greenpeace to cite ‘toxic’ provisions

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Tomas Aquino challenged yesterday the international environmental watchdog Greenpeace to pinpoint the exact provisions in the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) that would make the Philippines a dumping ground for hazardous and toxic wastes from Japan.

In an interview over the weekly radio program "Para sa Iyo Bayan" of Vice President Noli de Castro, Aquino said he is ready to testify before the Senate to belie the allegations of Greenpeace.

"It is but proper and right na maimbestigahan ito ng Senado. Wala tayong tinatago sa JPEPA (It is but proper for the Senate to investigate this. We have nothing to hide in JPEPA)," Aquino said.

"Walang katotohanan na balak gawing dumping ground ang Pilipinas sa JPEPA. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang basis ng Greenpeace. Sila ang naglabas ng issue na dapat nilang ipaliwanag (It’s not true that the Philippines is being eyed as dumping ground. I don’t know what’s the basis of Greenpeace. They raised the issue, they should be the ones to explain it.) The agreement is in the website at dapat i-pinpoint nila ang mga sinasabi nilang provisions," he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said on Thursday that the JPEPA was well-negotiated and still open to Senate scrutiny and ratification.

"It was subjected to a fine-toothed comb, including the legal provisions and everything. In fact, you know when I read it I was involved with many things," Romulo said.

Environmentalists alleged that the JPEPA would violate international conventions on the illegal dumping of toxic wastes.

The environmental alliance Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE) told senators to fulfill their responsibilities as representatives of the people by rejecting the JPEPA, which they said was violative of Philippine laws and the 1989 international convention on the illegal dumping of toxic and hazardous wastes.

They cited the 1989 Basel Convention that sought to minimize the production of and control the movement of hazardous waste across international frontiers. The Philippine and Japanese governments are among the 133 countries that signed the convention.

By signing the JPEPA, they said the Philippines in effect junked its previous commitment to the Basel Convention.