RP officials blame rich countries for collapse of world trade talks

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople blamed the collapse of global trade talks in Cancun, Mexico on the refusal of rich countries to listen to the concerns of the poor.

"It was like (the voices of poor countries were) entering one ear and going out the other ... that’s what really infuriated me," Lorenzo told dzRH radio yesterday, referring to the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting.

"The meeting in Cancun was a debacle for the whole world," Ople wrote in his column in a Manila newspaper, blaming the impasse on the selfishness of rich countries.

Lorenzo said Cancun was a "historic turning point from WTO’s imperial reflexes to a truly democratic venue where the opportunity to bring social demands from the streets into the conference among the world’s highest ministers has happened."

Ople said the West must yield to poorer nations’ demands to remove agricultural subsidies. The United States and Europe must "use a little more restraint in marrying their political clout to their trade objectives," he said.

US and European farmers receive between $50,000 and $100,000 a year in subsidies, compared to $13 to $20 a year per Filipino farmer, Lorenzo said.

The country’s leaders must "constructively rally behind our clear, transparent and deliberate efforts to find more equitable environment for farmers and fisher folk," he said, referring to the ongoing rivalry between the Arroyo administration and the political opposition.

The Arroyo administration accuses the camp of deposed President Joseph Estrada of trying to destabilize the government, while the opposition accuses the President’s husband of money laundering.

Both sides accuse each other of trying to win points ahead of the May presidential elections.

Analysts say the escalating political tension is driving away investments or prompting wary businessmen to put them on hold.

Lorenzo called on "political cannibals, ideological charlatans, dilettantes and demagogues in Philippine society to leave the language of anarchy and despair, abandon empty bombast and name-calling."

"For just as we found bonding and healing in the solidarity of developing nations, let us find solace and encouragement in our capacity to build the future of our country together," he said.

Lorenzo, who along with Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II led the Philippine delegation at the WTO meeting in Cancun, accused developed countries of temporarily exporting cheap products to poor countries just to gain a foothold in their market. — With Marvin Sy, AP