RH bills top Congress agenda

Committee level approval of RH bill eyed in February

THE controversial reproductive health (RH) measure and the freedom of information (FOI) bill are on top of Congress’ agenda when it resumes sessions today.

Deputy speaker for Luzon and Rep. Lorenzo Tañada 3rd of Quezon province on Sunday said that he sees the committee level approval of both measures by next month, after which these would be tackled at the bicameral conference committee level.

“Our target is by February, those bills would be approved in the committee level,” Tañada told The Manila Times.

The House official added that at the pace at which the two measures are being deliberated, they could be voted upon and passed immediately by the House of Representatives.

“Dapat mapagbotohan na yan [it should be voted upon] at least in the Lower Congress para malaman na kaagad kung ano ang kakalabasan ng mga House Bills na ‘to [for us to know how these bills would end up],” Tañada stressed.

But the lawmaker assured that there would be no “hasty” or “haphazard” approval of both bills, which are considered to be two of the most contentious pieces of legislation in the Fifteenth Congress.

Both the RH and FOI bills had been filed in previous congresses but were not approved. The FOI bill was not passed in June 2010 because of the lack of a quorum. The RH bill, on the other hand, enjoys the support of both the majority and minority blocs despite harsh criticisms from the Catholic clergy and other groups opposed to the measure.

Among the bill’s principal authors are House Minority leader Edcel Lagman and Representatives Janette Garin of Iloilo (First District), Arlene Bag-ao of Akbayan party-list, Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela party-list, Kaka Bag-ao and Walden Bello of Akbayan party-list, Rodolfo Biazon of Muntinlupa and Augusto Syjuco also of Iloilo (Second District).

Senate action
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that all pending bills would be given importance and that nothing “should be overlooked.”

Enrile, in a chance interview over the weekend, said that all measures are a priority, including the RH and FOI bills.

Before going on a holiday break last month, Congress was able to pass only four out of the 2,626 bills filed since July 2010. The four that were passed on third and final reading include the General Appropriations Act of 2011 and Senate Bills 78, 138 and 2559.

Senate Bill 78, filed by Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, seeks to increase the minimum wage of household helpers while Senate Bill 138, filed by Senators Antonio Trillanes 4th, Franklin Drilon and Pia Cayetano expands the country’s mandatory basic immunization program for infants to include immunization for Hepatitis B.

On the other hand, Senate Bill 2559, filed by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, aims to grant Philippine citizenship to American basketball import Marcus Douthit to allow him to play for the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team in major Asian basketball tournaments.

For her part, Sen. Loren Legarda told The Times on Sunday that among the bills she would like to prioritize are the “important amendments to the anti-trafficking law.”

Legarda said that she would particularly push for a new section “on acts that constitute attempted trafficking, which shall ensure that traffickers whose acts are preempted do not go scot-free; strengthening legal protection for victims in the form of custody and interim protection order; and establishing a permanent secretariat within the inter-agency council for anti-trafficking.” –RUBEN MANAHAN 4th AND BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON REPORTERS, Manila Times