RH bill to House floor today

It’s been a long way since l4 years ago

By WENDEL VIGILIA

The much-debated reproductive health bill may not be in the list of Malacañang’s top 23 priority legislative measures but it continues to gather steam at the House of Representatives where plenary deliberations on the bill start today.
The consolidated measure’s principal sponsors led by minority leader Edcel Lagman will take turns in delivering their sponsorship speeches despite the strong opposition by the Catholic Church and other organizations.
It will be a fresh start for the RH bill which was first filed in the 8th Congress (1987-1992), during the time of President Corazon Aquino, and has been consistently re-filed in subsequent Congresses.
Lagman said that contrary to what those opposing House Bill 4244 claims, the measure "does not in any way endorse abortion as a family planning method nor does it propose to change the country’s current laws prohibiting abortion."
Lagman is the author of House Bill No. 96 or "An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population and Development."
The consolidated measure hurdled the House committee on population and family relations last January after three hearings.
The bill advocates the use of artificial contraceptives like condoms and pills.
The Church, led by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, wants couples to use only the natural family planning method.
A vote for the controversial measure could be political suicide for some congressmen whose constituents are mostly Catholics.
Earlier this month, Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong withdrew his support to the measure but denied that the Catholic Church pressured him into making the decision.
Ong has said he backtracked on his earlier position after realizing that the Department of Health can implement the programs even without an RH law.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the RH bill will remain among the top priorities of the House, especially since President Aquino has not changed his position in favor of it.
If passed enacted into law this year, the RH bill will be temporarily funded by the Department of Health’s P731 million budget for "family health and responsible parenthood."
The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation (PLCPD) yesterday said it will continue to hold President Aquino to his commitment to support the measure. PLCPD executive director Ramon San Pascual said Aquino cannot escape his campaign promise of support to the RH bill.
"At some point, the President and Malacañang will have to walk their talk," said San Pascual.
He added that they are hopeful that Aquino will do it soon enough especially after they were given assurance by his Cabinet members that it remains in the program of the government.
"Those officials who met us told us that even if the RH bill is not in this LEDAC meeting, it can still be included in the next LEDAC," related San Pascual, referring to his meeting with Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, and Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
Yesterday (Monday), President Benigno Aquino III convened the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), wherein he is expected to present the proposed 23 priority legislative measures.
According to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, the RH bill was not among the 23 measures, which include the postponement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections, the strengthening of the witness protection program, and the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among others.
San Pascual said that, for the moment, they are not so worried about Malacañang’s exclusion of the bill since the RH bill is already "doing well" in Congress.
"We are okay about it since maganda din naman ang takbo ng bill sa Congress at sana magtuloy-tuloy na hanggang Senate," said San Pascual.
To the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), non-inclusion of the reproductive health bill in the Aquino administration’s 23 priority legislative measures is no longer of moment.
Fr. Melvin Castro, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) executive secretary, said it is already immaterial whether it is a priority measure by the administration or not because it is already up for debates in the House plenary.
He said this is why the Catholic Church, the laity and other pro-life groups are just focusing their efforts in Congress.
And as part of their preparation for today’s plenary debates, Castro said they are looking to "bombard the heavens with prayers."
He said the CBCP is not certain if it will be sending representatives to the plenary proceedings.
"We would rather have the laity and the multi-sectoral groups attend so that the legislators will see the Filipino people regardless of faith and economic condition," Castro explained. – With Gerard Naval