Lagman: Anti-RH drive a form of violence vs women

MANILA, Philippines – House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman on Monday scored the Catholic Church for opposing the enactment of the Reproductive Health Bill in Congress and depriving women access to family planning methods including artificial forms of contraception.

In a statement, Lagman blamed the Catholic Church for propagating misinformation about modern family planning methods. He also chastised the government for procrastinating on the passage of the RH bill, and husbands and men who impose themselves on their partners without any viable family planning method.

“This form of violence against women constitutes physical, psychological and financial violence which are punishable under Republic Act No. 9262 or the ‘Anti Violence Against Women and Their Children Act,” he said in a statement.

Lagman said the anti-RH drive is a form of “physical, psychological and financial violence” against women because unremitting pregnancies pose high risks to women and constitute a major cause of maternal death and illness.

He said the National Demographic and Health Survey reveals that 11 women die daily from maternal causes.

Citing statistics from the University of the Philippines Population Institute, he said an average of 500,000 abortions are performed annually in the country by mothers who terminate unwanted pregnancies.

“It is likewise financial violence because unremitting pregnancies prevent women from finishing their education and securing remunerative work for which reason they are condemned to financial subjugation,” he said.

The passage of the RH bill has remained to be a controversial topic in and out of the House of Representatives.

Last Friday, more than 40,000 people participated in an Interfaith Prayer Rally against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill at Rizal Park in Manila.

The lower House will again tackle the RH bill once sessions resume in May. –abs-cbnNEWS.com