News Release

JPEPA HEARING SEPTEMBER 14

Santiago said each hearing of the Committee will be devoted to only one topic, in the order in which they are listed, as follows: trade and investment; economics; movement of goods and services; movement of natural persons; and environmental effects.

Santiago said she will advice the cabinet officials and civil society members concerned to stick to the topic for each session, so that proceedings can start methodically.

The senator added that during each hearing, the government panel will be matched by a civil society panel, so that on each topic, both will always be heard.

Santiago said that after September 14, she intends to hold weekly sessions every Thursday morning, making in all a total of five sessions.

“If the resource persons cooperate with the specified agenda, we should finish public hearings by 11 October. The committee report will then be circulated for signature among the committee members. If the majority votes in favor of the JPEPA, then I should be able to deliver the sponsorship speech by the first week of November,” she said.

She said after plenary debates, she hopes the Senate will concur with JPEPA before the yearend.

Santiago said she did not expect partisan lines to be drawn during the hearings, or during the submission of the committee report.

“I want this to be a sober, scholarly analysis of the JPEPA placed in its regional context. I will try to keep the atmosphere as objective as I can, and will discourage speculation or hypothetical scenarios. There is a good chance the JPEPA will be able to get two-thirds vote of the Senate, if the Foreign Relations Committee takes care to study every argument, unswayed by sensationalist aspects of the treaty,” she said.
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