EU Parliament threatens to revoke PH trade perks. Inquirer Newsletter. September 19, 2020

No images? Click here   STILL MAKING A LIST   Store worker Andy dela Cruz arranges a collection of Santa Clauses—along with Nativity figures and other Yuletide ornaments—at a shop in Quezon City, as the holiday season approaches amid tempered consumer expectations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE     News Activist’s freedom vs parents’ worries The Supreme Court has ruled that a 19-year-old activist was old enough to make her own choices, including the persons whose company she wanted to keep, and dismissed a petition filed by the woman’s parents to take custody of her. The decision written by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said it did not appear that the militant group Anakbayan had deprived Alicia Jasper “AJ” Lucena of her liberty. —Story by Jerome Aning Read more: bit.ly/inquirer-plus   Regions ‘Contactless’ ticket sale eyed for ports The Philippine Ports Authority has set in motion a system that will allow sea travelers to buy their tickets from machines to be installed at 81 seaports across the country. The "contactless" ticketing machines are expected to be ready by 2021. The project, while planned before the pandemic, may now be considered a must under the "new normal" as a preventive measure against the contagion. —Story by Maricar Cinco Read more: bit.ly/inquirer-plus   Lifestyle The things that make us feel safe As the pandemic continues to rip our safety nets, there is a way to carve a new comfort zone: Trust that our favorite places—restaurants, malls, gyms—are all working hard to meet our needs, and keep us all safe. —Story by Rey Bolivar Read full story: https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/370777/the-things-that-make-us-feel-safe/   Entertainment Jon Jon Briones: Role in ‘Ratched’ an acknowledgment of my Filipino culture There are a lot of reasons to stream a series that is a prequel to the classic “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” Jon Jon Briones, the Filipino actor who has made waves in Broadway and Hollywood, is certainly one of them. —Story by Rito P. Asilo Read full story:   https://entertainment.inquirer.net/390955/jon-jon-briones-role-in-ratched-an-acknowledgment-of-my-filipino-culture   Newsletter / Join us Has this been forwarded by a friend? Subscribe now to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Newsletter and get your latest news and important updates on COVID-19 and the enhanced community quarantine. Subscribe     Get your Inquirer Plus with Apple Ipad here   Banner story EU Parliament threatens to revoke PH trade perks By Patricia Denise M. Chiu The European Parliament threatened to revoke the Philippines’ trading privileges with the European Union if it did not implement international conventions on human rights and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue its inquiry into allegations that President Duterte committed crimes against humanity in his bloody war on drugs. Voting 626 to 7, with 52 abstentions, the elected legislative body of the European Union on Thursday adopted a resolution expressing its “deepest concern at the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation” in the country under Mr. Duterte and strongly condemned the thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings. The European parliamentarians also called on Philippine authorities to “step up efforts to tackle corruption effectively,” reminding the country that it enjoys trade benefits under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which could be revoked if the government failed to meet certain standards. The privilege allows the Philippines to export 6,200 products tariff-free to the 27 EU member states. “This status is dependent upon its ratification and implementation of 27 international conventions on human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and good governance,” the resolution said. The EU lawmakers want to start the process of taking away the trade benefits, unless the Duterte administration demonstrated a “substantial improvement and willingness to cooperate.” “Given the seriousness of the human rights violations in the country, [the European Parliament] calls on the European Commission ... to immediately initiate the procedure which could lead to the temporary withdrawal of GSP+ preferences,” the nine-page resolution said. Roque dare: ‘Go ahead’ Angered by the move, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque dared the European parliamentarians to “go ahead” and revoke the country’s trading privileges. “I’m sorry I’m being very undiplomatic in my answer, but what else can I say? At the time of a pandemic, they are threatening us? What else do we lose?” he said at a press briefing in Baguio City on Friday. “Our economy will shrink more because of COVID-19, and so we expect that this plan of Europe to suspend our GSP privilege will be an added burden,” Roque said. He went on to say that if the Europeans “really want to do it, we cannot do anything. Let  them watch as the Filipino people suffer.” Roque said the Europeans would be “the biggest contributor to the violation of right to life of Filipinos” if they revoked this trading privilege. He slammed the move by “former colonial masters” which he said was triggered by a “classic case of misinformation” by Jose Maria Sison, the founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines who lives in exile in the Netherlands. Press freedom, De Lima Roque urged members of Congress and the country’s ambassadors to European nations to “tell them the truth” about the real situation in the Philippines to stop the spread of Sison’s “lies.” Other than trade sanctions, the resolution also called on the EU members to support a proposal at the ongoing 45th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to establish an “independent, international investigation” of human rights violations in the Philippines since 2016. The parliamentarians listed other reports that have raised alarms, including: threats, harassment, intimidation, rape and violence against those exposing extrajudicial killings; the killings of human rights workers Jory Porquia and Zara Alvarez, and peace consultant Randal Echanis; and the “deteriorating” press freedom in the country. It cited the case of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, who has been convicted of cyberlibel, and the shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN. The resolution also called for the immediate release of detained Sen. Leila de Lima, saying she was being held on “politically motivated charges.” It also “expressed serious concern” about the recently passed Anti-Terrorism Act. In a statement on Friday, De Lima lauded the European Parliament’s resolution, saying that it “reminds us that the world is constantly watching and that justice will catch up to those who do injustice to others one way or another.” Mr. Duterte’s staunchest critic also appealed to the UNHRC, the ICC and foreign governments to “step up their efforts in fighting rights violators in the country.” ‘Heavy thumbs down’ Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said his group “profoundly welcomes” the resolution. “It is high time that governments must step up the displeasure and pressure over the unmitigated and persisting human rights atrocities [in the Philippines,]” he said. The resolution is proof that the “whole world is giving the perpetrators and enablers of the brazen violations the heavy thumbs down,” Olalia said. The European Parliament also called on the Duterte government to halt all efforts to reinstate the death penalty, to protect the human rights of indigenous peoples and the LGBT, and to disband private and state-backed paramilitary groups which target suspected drug offenders. Lopez sees no basis Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez tried to play down the resolution, saying he didn’t see any reason for the European Union to withdraw the trading privilege that has been enjoyed by the country since December 2014. The GSP+ is also a way for the European Union to encourage developing countries to pursue sustainable growth, since this perk is conditioned on the beneficiary’s commitment to international conventions on human and labor rights, environmental protection and good governance. This is the third time that the European Parliament had threatened to take such action against the Duterte administration. Lopez said the main agency that has a say in the GSP+ was not necessarily the European Parliament but the European Commission, which has a mechanism to “verify issues before sanctions are imposed.” He said in a Viber message that Filipino officials have been able to “explain objectively the Philippines’ side on issues that are raised and we don’t see any reason why our GSP+ privilege will be withdrawn.” —WITH REPORTS FROM JULIE M. AURELIO, ROY STEPHEN C. CANIVEL AND MARLON RAMOS Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   Editorial Why the attack on transparency? Thanks but no thanks to Ombudsman Samuel Martires, himself a former associate justice of the Supreme Court, the efficacy of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as a check on official abuse is about to end. Just this week, the Office of the Ombudsman made public new guidelines on access to and use of the SALNs of public officials. Under the new rules, access to SALNs may only be availed by the following personalities: the official involved or a duly authorized representative, bearers of court orders in relation to pending cases, and the Office of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office for the purpose of conducting a fact-finding investigation. Of note is the absence of the media, as representative of the general public, from the list of those entitled to request for copies of SALNs. The Ombudsman’s order effectively shuts to the door to public scrutiny of the finances of public officials. Indeed, in yet another instance of defying the principles of transparency, even such a simple act as the disclosure of the appointment of a government official is now left to the discretion of the appointee. According to a Rappler report, Malacañang has for months now refused to release announcements of the names of new appointees. What is the motive for keeping the Filipino people in the dark about what this government is doing, and how honest its people are? What is the Duterte administration so determined to hide from the public's eyes? Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net   Copyright © 2020 PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 2353, Makati Central Post Office, 1263 Makati City, Philippines.   Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe