Sixteen senators — including four presidential and vice presidential aspirants in 2010 — voted last night to ratify the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Bayan and the No Deal! Movement said that the 2010 aspirants who voted for JPEPA were “definitely found lacking in nationalist credentials” and vowed to take block the treaty’s implementation via street protests and by asking the Supreme Court to trash it.
The Inquirer.net quoted one of the aspirants, Sen. Mar Roxas, as saying: “At long last, JPEPA can now be implemented with the assurance that we in the Senate will maintain a hawk’s eye vigilance against any potential abuse by either side.”
Apart from Roxas, Pinoy Weekly reported that those who voted for JPEPA were: Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Jinggo Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Bong Revilla, Miguel Zubiri, Manuel Villar Jr., at Lito Lapid.
Those who voted against were: Aquilino Pimentel Jr, Jamby Madrigal, Francis Escudero, and Noynoy Aquino.
Escudero’s name has been repeatedly floated as a possible vice presidential candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
To obtain ratification, a treaty needs the vote of two-thirds of total Senate membership. In this case, the number was 15. Had at least two more senators voted against JPEPA, the treaty would have been defeated. Lapid and Revilla could have skipped voting and changed the outcome.
Below is the exchange of notes between the Manila and Tokyo, a requirement laid down by the Senate to ensure the Senate’s ratification.