Gerry Albert Corpuz presents

This is Gerry Albert Corpuz and this is my life and political journey to the world of class struggle and class emancipation

Leftwing groups see secret signing of RP-US free trade pact in
Arroyo’s US visit next month

The militant peasant alliance Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the left-leaning fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday said the scheduled meeting of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with US President George W. Bush next month is meant to clinch the proposed RP-US Free Trade Agreement.

KMP and Pamalakaya said it is politically puzzling why President Arroyo did not mention this earth shaking bilateral trade agenda, where in fact this free trade agreement was brought to Malacañang and Washington DC during Arroyo’s political stint in Hanoi, Vietnam on the occasion of 14th summit of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC on November 2006.

“Is President Arroyo hiding something and presumably engaged in another secret deal with Bush, the American puppet master?” KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos said in a press statement.

Ramos said Malacañang only announced a number of agenda in Arroyo’s visit to Washington DC and New York City from June 23-29. Among the President’s agenda are to personally thank the US government officials and members of Congress for supporting Veterans Benefits Bill and discuss an array of issues that involved food security, protection of the environment, Philippine defense program, counter-terrorism, Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) community building, human rights, the situation in Myanmar and global trade to mention a few.

“How about the RP-US free trade agreement which is more evil than the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement? Nothing has been said about this bilateral trade pact. Something fishy is going on here, because President Arroyo is going to sign another deal which is super destructive and super terrifying to ordinary Filipinos,” KMP’s Ramos added.

For his part, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap recalled that sometime in December last year, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap also announced the need for a new RP-US Free Trade Agreement.

The Pamalakaya leader said: If my memory serves me right, Mr. Yap issued a statement stating that the Philippines would like to move forward in all aspects of its trade relations with the United States, either bilaterally, such as pursuing an FTA or working within the confines of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), or multilaterally, like working towards a successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda.

“Secretary Yap was acting that time as the local town crier of the White House regarding the proposed RP-US free trade pact. It was a follow up and a reminder to Malacañang that President Arroyo should push through with the agreement. The US is dictating upon the Arroyo government the need to come up with a free trade agreement that is bigger and bolder than Jpepa,” Hicap said.

Pamalakaya theorized that Malacañang could be hiding the draft RP-US Free Trade Agreement and the document will be submitted next month to White House during President Arroyo’s state visit to US next month.

“It is a done deal, yet the 88.5 million Filipinos do not know what this political animal is all about?” the fisherfolk group added.

“To set the record straight, the Philippine government already has come up with the proposal for a three-stage RP-US FTA. Under Phase 1 of the package, the two parties must agree on common products like garments and textile and possibly, electronics. Phase 2 would cover the granting of additional concessions on more sensitive products, while Phase 3 would delve on a comprehensive coverage of products and services,” Pamalakaya said. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 02:18 | link | comments |

Template by motime.com  |  header image credit: Markus Gann © www.begann.de