Bishops step up lobbying to derail birth-control bill

CATHOLIC bishops stepped up the pressure yesterday and urged congressmen not to attend sessions to pass a family planning bill that they oppose, but 170 lawmakers showed up to answer the quorum call anyway.

Congress only has nine session days left to pass the Reproductive Health bill before lawmakers go on a month-long recess on Oct. 17.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles said the lack of a quorum was the biggest problem blocking the bill’s passage.

He has already issued a memorandum compelling congressmen to attend sessions and pass important pieces of legislation including House Bill 5043, which seeks a national policy on reproductive health and population development.

Nograles said Davao Bishop Fernando Capalla and Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal had been calling him to withdraw his support of the family planning bill “almost every day.”

Several congressmen have similarly complained about Catholic Church leaders urging them not to pass the bill.

The bill was scheduled to be taken up in plenary for debate and approval on Tuesday, but only 126 lawmakers showed up when 131 were needed for a quorum.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin and House Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II complained that the plenary had to wait for congressmen opposed to the bill who were meeting with Nograles at the Speaker’s office.

Garin said several congressmen were attending hearings of the House committee on appropriations, which was taking up the Public Works Department’s budget.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the bill’s main author, was at the hearing being the panel’s senior vice chairman.

“Had we waited a bit more we would have counted 146, which is more than enough to constitute a quorum,” he said.

“But pro-RH solons insisted that only those present on the floor should be counted,” Garin said.

“So the session was adjourned and the RH bill and other equally compelling issues were not taken up.”

Still, pro-family-planning bill congressmen insisted that they had the numbers to pass it.

“We will find out once and for all how the lawmakers feel about the RH bill. We ask the bishops to just let us do our job,” Nograles said.

“The bishops in my province have been campaigning against me,” said Garin, a doctor.

“Every election they threaten me that Catholics would not vote for me, and every time I win.” –Christine F. Herrera, Manila Times