The anti-JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is set
to lead an across-the-country “JPEPA-free zone campaign,” where the country’s fishing waters will be declared as free from the execution of the bilateral trade pact currently waiting the concurrence of the Senate.
BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 26, August 3-9, 2008
The anti-JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is set to lead an across-the-country “JPEPA-free zone campaign,” where the country’s fishing waters will be declared as free from the execution of the bilateral trade pact currently waiting the concurrence of the Senate.
“The idea is to declare all the country’s archipelagic waters and major fishing grounds as JPEPA-free zone areas,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap.
“Once a fishing ground is declared a JPEPA-free zone area, Japanese factory ships hunting Philippine tunas and other precious marine resources shall be exposed, opposed and if possible barred from entering the country’s territorial waters,” the Pamalakaya leader said.
However, Hicap admitted that since fishing boats in the Philippines are either low tech or second hand vessels, fisherfolk and fish workers cannot apprehend Japanese factory ships in high seas, but once these Japanese factory ships dock for refueling, that would be the time they could launch protest actions.
Hicap said the JPEPA-free zone campaign will be one of the forms of protest actions which the broad anti-JPEPA alliance No Deal! JPEPA will undertake to heighten the people’s resistance against the one-sided bilateral economic agreement.
On Aug. 4 Pamalakaya activists will install “larger-than-life” protest billboards in Manila Bay near the Philippine Senate to declare the bay as a JPEPA-free zone area. The militants will invite opposition Sen. Jamby Madrigal to post another billboard declaring the Senate as a JPEPA-free zone area.
Pamalakaya said that the major fishing grounds that would be declared as JPEPA-free zone areas include Babuyan Channel, Lingayen Gulf, Manila Bay, Ragay Gulf, Albay Gulf, Kalayaan Group of Islands in Palawan, Sibuyan Sea, Tablas Strait, Guimaras Strait, Panay Gulf, Cebu-Bohol Strait, Samar Sea, Leyte Gulf, Camotes Sea, Bohol Sea, Tañon Strait, Moro Gulf, Daca Gulf, Sulu Sea and Lagonoy Gulf
So far, it is only Madrigal who has stated her position against the JPEPA, and Pamalakaya said it is only appropriate for the opposition senator to lead the ground breaking anti-JPEPA rites in the Senate. The anti-JPEPA bloc only needs eight senators to block the treaty.
Mass flooding of Japanese used ships
Pamalakaya warned that the ratification of the bilateral trade agreement will lead to the mass flooding of Jurassic Japanese ships similar to M/V Princess of the Stars that sank last month at the height of typhoon Frank.
