RH backers dismayed over exclusion of bill as priority

MANILA, Philippines – Backers of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill expressed dismay yesterday that President Aquino has decided against giving priority to the bill in Congress this year.

Ramon San Pascual, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. executive director, said the RH Bill’s exclusion from priority bills was unexpected at a time when Filipino women, families, and parents had high hopes for Aquino to carry out a national policy in support of his pledge for responsible parenthood.

“This is the time that the President must act on behalf of poor women and families by standing firm on his promise to pursue responsible parenthood,” he said.

“We urge him to reconsider the inclusion of RH bill as a priority bill that must be submitted to the LEDAC,” referring to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

San Pascual urged Aquino not to succumb to Catholic Church pressure.

Aquino must reconsider the inclusion of the bill among those he will submit to lawmakers during the LEDAC meeting set on Feb. 28, he added.

San Pascual said Malacañang should not use the unfinished dialogue with the CBCP as a lame excuse for not certifying the RH Bill as urgent.

“It would be unfair for women to continue to become hostage of a dialogue and debate that has been going on for the past ten years,” he said.

Aquino disappoints Cayetano

Sen. Pia Cayetano expressed disappointment yesterday over Aquino’s decision to withdraw the RH Bill from his list of priority bills to be submitted to Congress.

Aquino’s move “indicates a leadership that is indecisive and vulnerable to pressure,” she added.

Cayetano said Aquino’s decision has effectively placed the RH Bill in the back burner in Congress.

“P-Noy’s unwavering position on the principle of free and informed choice, especially for poor couples on family planning methods, had inspired legislators to proceed despite mounting pressure from the Church,” she said

Cayetano said the Senate and the House of Representatives have been conducting hearings on the RH Bill over the last seven months to have the bill passed into law.

“What was worse was that the President pulled out the RH Bill from the list of priority bills at a time when the congressional hearings are about to be concluded and the plenary debates would commence,” she said.

“Nevertheless, it’s not too late for Malacañang to re-include the RH Bill in its priority legislative agenda.

“This will be a true test of the political will of this administration, as well as the President’s sincerity and conviction.”

During the hearing of the Senate committee on health and demography and youth, women and family relations yesterday, former health secretary Esperanza Cabral reiterated the need to have the RH Bill passed into law, not only to fulfill the international commitments of the country, but also to protect the welfare of mothers and their children.

Cabral said the country has entered into various conventions, treaties and other instruments without thinking about the implications of these moves.

“In some instances we do make positions because we are pressured by social, economic and political matters but in terms of the MDG (Millennium Development Goals), we did this because we felt it was important for us to take care of our mothers and children and achieving the MDG will benefit mothers and the country,” she said.

“Health is a very important issue and along with the rest of the world we should aim to achieve these goals for the benefit of women and children and the country as a whole.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has raised four points against the RH Bill.

The provision to provide access to artificial contraceptives is very dangerous because a lot of these have serious side effects, according to James Imbong of the CBCP’s legal office.

The CBCP was also opposed to incorporating sex education in the curriculum of schools because this has been proven to cause problems in several countries that have tried this.

Imbong said that population control has also led to some communities being wiped out from the face of the earth.

In a recent pronouncement, Malacañang indicated that Aquino supports giving families an informed choice on family planning methods.

During its consultations with the CBCP, Malacañang was told by the bishops that there was no need for the passage of a law since the Department of Health was already implementing programs on reproductive health. – Helen Flores, Marvin Sy, (The Philippine Star)