Ika 8 ng Oktubre 2008

The breather from the senate session on Monday ended yesterday as we once again faced our battle. There was an advise from the office of our top official to be at the senate early........... That means blood.

We had to be early yesterday as one light moment when we were bantering with the team together with the top official, he remarked that my colleague and I are always early, arriving at the Senate at 4:00pm (The session starts at 3:00pm). Not true of course...... But the team excluding us arrives at 1:30pm and holed up in one of the meeting rooms. My colleague and I feel that it's a waste of time and opted to be there just before the star of the session. Still, that sarcasm did not escape introspection and drew the feeling of the lack of cooperation from us. So we were there at the senate at 2:00pm and headed straight to the session hall making sure our top official saw us.

And what do you know..... that extra time provided us a chance to engage in small talk with some senate employees and the usherettes waiting for the session to start as they were seated at our side of the gallery. They would reflect about their work and experiences with the senators...... how each senator are to be handled with care and caution. One of the usherettes told us that she had been publicly humiliated by a former senator whom we all suspected of being a closet queen just because she gave him a phone to receive a call from another former senator while in the session hall. With line opened as if letting the calling party realized he was being a nuisance, the gender-confused senator from an urbanized province berated the poor usherette. I asked what she did...... nothing because what can she do. Then and there, I thought I cannot handle such a job. I might lose my job or my life......... She continued to relate her experiences and also mentioned about being again scolded openly by a respected and brilliant senator who passed away after a failed presidential bid for making a call of duty when he needed something from her. Then again, the late senator apologized afterward. So that's their life. We only see them as ladies in suit who provide the senators with whatever they fancy during the session; bring them papers to sign; and raise the "no clapping" or "silence please" signs. Our familiarity with them made us accidental confidantes of their woes which probably could have remain repressed all this time. Now, I admire them for their patience and dedication to their job.

Soon, the session started with the usual preliminaries until it's our turn. First to interpellate was Senator Legarda who brought up the issues on toxic waste, access of Japanese factory ships to Philippine waters, investment performance requirements particularly on hiring of Filipinos and transfer of technology and cited that according to a study by the PIDS, the benefit of JPEPA to the country is negligible. All these issues were ably handled by Senator Roxas who stated that the domestic laws on toxic waste and national treatment of certain industries remain in effect and will not be superseded by the treaty. On the investment, Senator Roxas stressed that the nature of investment coming in are high value adding and would require high-quality labor. If menial labor is required, these investment will go to China instead. On the premise that potential benefits are negligible, Senator Roxas presented our own estimates of the gains from the treaty. Of course, this may or may not happen. He confirmed Senator Legarda's assumption that the motivation to approve JPEPA is driven more by the threats of its non-ratification such as lost trade, investment, employment opportunities from a non-bullying partner rather than the actual benefits to the country citing that other ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia already have existing agreements with Japan.

We were surprised that there was another senator allowed to interpellate because usually only one senator would be able to ask questions to Senator Roxas. Senator Pimentel asked about the licensure exams for nurses conducted in Nihonggo and if this can be negotiated. Certainly, it cannot be as Nihonggo is the only language that the Japanese know. Senator Roxas explained that nurses are usually given three years to pass the exams to enable them to learn the language and culture of the Japanese. They are allowed to work as assistant nurses earning compensation to gain the requisite experience. He mentioned that recently 205,00 Indonesian nurses were accepted in Japan through this means. Indonesia has an existing free trade agreement with Japan similar to JPEPA. Senator Aquino followed up on the nurses issue and inquired about the passing rate for the nursing licensure exam which was promptly provided to him. Senator Aquino also cited the decreasing market share of agricultural products which was confirmed by Senator Roxas adding that this became apparent after Japan signed an agreement with Mexico. Senator Roxas clarified that he wasn't directly linking the agreement with Mexico to the dwindling market share of agricultural products but those are the facts. He also mentioned about the case brought against Mexico by the Philippines on mangoes exported by Mexico and branded as Manila mangoes. We learned that Mexican mangoes are thick-skinned and fibrous compared to the thin skinned and delicious Philippine mangoes.

All this questioning took more than three hours but Senator Roxas appeared to be high and wanted them to bring it on. But the rest of the body might have tired out hearing about JPEPA that long and suspended interpellation for today. Senator Roxas chided Ambassador Siazon into treating the JPEPA resource team to a sukiyaki dinner. Ambassador Siazon's reply was in the affirmative but that would have to be in Japan where his credit card is honored. We all went home tired and hungry.

That was yesterday. So what is to be expected today, the last day of the Senate session before the long legislative break? Frankly, I have no idea.......... but I have to be there.

PS: Nalaman namin na bukas daw ay huling sesyon ng Senado dahil sa magkakaron sila ng mahabang bakasyon na magtatapos sa Nobyembre 9. Me mga bali balita na mukang sinasadyang inaantala and pagratipika sa JPEPA ng isang senador na di ayon dito. At gustong gusto na nasasayang ang oras namin sa pag-aaral ng mga dokumento namin habang sila ay nagtatanong. Ano ba yan!!!???? Walang pagpapahalaga ang senador na ito sa oras ng ibang tao. Dahil sa marahil marami na rin sang-ayon na senador sa pagratifika ng JPEPA ay kailangan niyang gumamit ng delaying tactics at matatalo siya sa botohan.