President Benigno Aquino III will not support any plan to amend the Constitution just so that the Philippines can be accepted as a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a US-led group which accounts for 40 percent of world trade, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
“We are taking steps to align ourselves with TPP norms. There is no change in the President’s stated position on charter change,” stressed Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a text message to the Malacañang Press Corps.
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda cited the recent interview of Aquino with Steve Forbes, saying that the Philippines would want to participate in the TPP, but could not.
“We really want to participate in it. We were not the first group that was invited to it. We have been invited, in a sense, afterwards. But for instance, America continues to be one of our biggest trading partners,” said Aquino.
“Number three currently in terms of trade. The bottom line is: We are used to dealing with you. The rules seem to be very clear. Everybody would want to have an increase in their potential market. So why not deal where there is stability in the relationship, where, again, you can expect the assumptions are valid, rather than going somewhere where the gains are potentially very large but at the same time the risks are undetermined, or unknowable,” Aquino said.
“So joining TPP does make very good sense to us, especially because of those already in it who we find ourselves in very close alliances in so many different fronts. Japan comes to mind. Vietnam comes to mind. And other countries,” Aquino also said.
Earlier, Philippine trade secretary Gregory Domingo told a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank that the country wants to join the TPP, but could not due to some constitutional provisions.
The Philippines would not take part in TPP negotiations under the current government due to legal and constitutional complications which imposed significant time constraints.
Some had interpreted this to mean a general unwillingness of the Philippines to commit to the pact at all.
