RH proponents prepared to head-on debates against opponents

Proponents of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill have geared up for tough and long debates with colleagues on the passage of the measure, practically saying that they are prepared to meet head-on those opposing the proposed law.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, author of one of the bills filed in the upper chamber which has been incorporated in committee report No. 49 or the proposed version of the upper chamber on the measure, said she will start this week her defense of the RH bill in the Senate by delivering the first of three parts.

“My defense is over 60 pages long, so I have to break it up into three separate speeches. By that time, I would have bored everybody, including myself,” she said in jest.

The sponsor of the measure, Sen. Pia Cayetano, told reporters in an interview that she made sure that she’s well knowledgable in debating colleagues on the issue to the extent that she even purchased books during the congressional break related to reproductive health.

“I have been reading a lot about of history on reproductive health globally so I’m very prepared for the debates and I’m looking forward to an enlightend and intelligent issue.

“It’s my priority (measure) but I cannot force on the issue with others because we have our respective priorities (in the Senate). As far as I’m concerned, I will be ready to defend it and also PhilHealth bill. I have to mention this because these are twin bills. We have to have a wholistic approcach on these issues. Both bills, I will defend simultaneously,” she said.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who has been very vocal in his position against the need to legislate a law on reproductive health, said he’s also ready to debate with the proponents of the measure.

“I’ve long been prepared, since the 10th Congress,” he said, underscoring that preparations he made was not to oppose the bill but be “enlightened” by those pushing the bill.

Sotto, who is the chairman of the rules committee, the panel that sets the order of business of the upper chamber, however, admitted that RH bill is not among their priority right now.

“We have to hear out the Sona (State of the Nation) of the President first then assess the pending (legislations) in the last regular sessions and also wait for the meeting of the LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council). After that, then we can say what are the priorities (of the Senate),” he explained.

Last Friday, Cayetano, said they are expected to tackle the matter sometime this week after it was endorsed for plenary debates last June 7, shortly before they went on sine die adjournment.

Cayetano, chairman of the committees on health and youth, women and family relations, is banking on the

support of Santiago who expresses willingness in defending the measure to their peers.

At least 22 senators signed the panel report whic seeks to “provide information and access, without bias, to all methods of family planning which have been proven safe and effective in accordance with scientific and evidence-based medical standards such as those set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and registered and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”

The provision in the bill proposing to “guarantee to universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services,” is one of the most contentious issues in the measure, especially since the Catholic Church is standing firm in its position allowing obly natural method family planning and is against the use of artificial forms of contraception like condoms and contraceptive pills.

Also yesterday, Santiago said President Aquino should set the yearend as the absolute deadline for resolving the entire backlog of cases pending with the Office of the Ombudsman. –Angie M. Rosales, Daily Tribune