TRO sought vs JPEPA

MANILA, Philippines – A group of non-government organizations (NGOs) yesterday filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition asking the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) on the grounds that the Senate had committed grave abuse of discretion in ratifying a “patently unconstitutional treaty.”

In its petition, the Akbayan asked the Court to stop respondents from carrying out further action on JPEPA through legislative issuances.

The petitioners also asked the SC to prevent respondents from transmitting the resolution of concurrence to the executive branch for the latter to perform the final acts that would make the treaty binding.

Named respondents were Senate President Manuel Villar and Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Manuel Roxas II, Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Manuel Lapid, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Also respondents were Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, and Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales.

The petitioners claimed that JPEPA violates the Constitution as it allows foreign ownership of Philippine private lands in all sectors except manufacturing and services.

“If Japanese investors wish to engage in real estate development, agribusiness, and other similar ventures, they can now own private lands in the country. This is a crime against Filipino farmers who continue to suffer and die in the fight to own the very lands that they till,” they said.