Lacson: JPEPA vote not a trade-off

MANILA, Philippines – Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson maintained yesterday that he voted for the ratification of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) after the environmental issues were threshed out in further exchange of notes between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Denying reports that he traded off his yes vote for the constitution of the Senate ethics committee that will look into his allegations against Senate President Manuel Villar over the C-5 Road extension project, Lacson explained that he voted for JPEPA because of the assurance made by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon that toxic wastes will not be dumped into the country.

In a text message to The STAR, Lacson said: “‘My word is my bond’ referred to a commitment I made to Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon to support the ratification after the constitutional and toxic waste issues shall have been cured. That remark was actually intended to remind some of our colleagues who made the commitment but reneged on their word, (which) I learned from Siazon himself.”

Last Wednesday night, the Senate, voting 16-4, ratified the JPEPA before it went into a month-long break.

Lacson branded as “too petty an issue” to trade his yes vote for any piece of legislation even as he admitted that he “share(s) the blame for giving a very brief explanation of my vote.”

It took several hours before the Senate mustered the needed 16 votes. It was already around 10:30 p.m. when Lacson manifested that he would not interpellate any further on the JPEPA as he announced he was giving up his membership in the ethics committee and recommended Sen. Rodolfo Biazon as his replacement from the opposition.  – With Evelyn Macairan, Sheila Crisostomo, Aurea Calica