No compromise on condoms

Cut in family health budget non-negotiable

MANILA, Philippines—Senators Tuesday served notice to their counterparts in the House of Representatives that they would not enter into a compromise on the decision to reduce the Department of Health’s budget for contraceptives by P872 million.

“The issue of contraceptives—as far as I and the majority of the Senate are concerned—is non-negotiable,” Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III told the Inquirer after the first bicameral meeting on the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for next year.

Sotto predicted that he would clash with House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, who is pushing for the passage of a reproductive health and population control measure.

Both of them have been picked to join the small group that would attempt to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the General Appropriations Bill.

Sotto stood pat on keeping only P8 million in the proposed P880-million “family health” budget, which includes the purchase of condoms and other types of contraceptives.

Result of a caucus

Sen. Franklin Drilon, finance committee chair, echoed Sotto’s position, noting that the reduction was the result of a caucus by senators before they passed the general appropriations bill on second and third readings last week.

“We are serious about this because we have to respect the position of our majority leader and we have to carry out the mandate of the caucus,” Drilon said in a phone interview.

Drilon said senators also did not want to approve an enormous allocation for the purchase of contraceptives pending the passage of a reproductive health bill.

“We do not want to jump the gun on the policy issue of the RH bill,” he said. “Pending that, don’t place (the purchase of) contraceptives in the budget.”

Drilon clarified that the Senate version of the budget bill slashed only P300 million—not P872 million—from the DoH budget for contraceptives. He said the department would still have P580 million at its disposal if the Senate version would prevail.

Realigned

But Sotto maintained that the DoH budget lost P872 million. He said the P300-million reduction represented the amount senators decided to realign for state universities and colleges, and science and technology scholarships.

Sotto said Congress had yet to decide where to put the remaining P572 million slashed from the DoH budget. He noted that the P8-million allocation left for the DoH was earmarked solely for the purchase of condoms as per the result of the Senate caucus.

Asked if he would be amenable to allowing government money to be spent on contraceptives after an RH bill was passed, Sotto said: “To me, no matter how much the allocation is, contraceptives are definitely out.”

Sotto earlier declared that if people wanted condoms and other types of contraceptives, they should buy them for themselves and not ask money from the government.

In reconciling versions of the budget bill, the Senate and House Tuesday decided to allow their respective finance committee chair to tackle specific differences. Drilon said the result would then be relayed to small groups formed for each panel.

Drilon will be joined by Sotto while Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, appropriations committee chair, will have as members Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. and Lagman. –Christian V. Esguerra, Philippine Daily Inquirer