Congress OKs RH bill
Yes votes in House more than last week’s
AFTER much wrangling and heated debates, the Senate and House of Representatives on Monday approved the reproductive health (RH) bill, which President Benigno Aquino 3rd certified as urgent last week.
The House passed the measure on third reading through a 113-79 vote.
The Senate also voted 13-8 in favor of the bill.
Those who voted to pass the bill were Senators Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, siblings Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Franklin Drilon, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Teofisto Guingona 3rd, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Loren Legarda, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Ralph Recto.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile voted no, so did Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito”
Sotto 3rd, Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Ejercito-Estrada, and Senators Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan 2nd, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr., Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Antonio Trillanes 4th and Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr.
Before the chamber proceeded with the voting on second and third reading, Sotto introduced 33 amendments, 27 of which were accepted by the sponsors.
Since the President already certified the bill as urgent, the senators moved to have it passed on final reading.
Almost all senators were given a chance to explain their votes.
Arroyo said that the bill “promises more than it can deliver because sex is not the root of poverty and children, who are our joy, are not the cause of underdevelopment.”
Recto, meanwhile, said that the measure is not a fast-acting poverty reduction tool. “It will not create a social utopia and bring us to nirvana. I will vote yes on condition that dead provisions will not resurrect like zombies and newly birthed ones won’t be slaughtered.”
Legarda said that she supported the bill because it ensures that the poor can have access to information and means.
Lacson, however, did not explain his vote. He instead commended Enrile and Sotto for their steadfastness and tenacity in fighting for their conviction despite the warning of the Catholic Church and the President’s support to the bill.
“They fought a good fight. But this is the true essence of democracy. The rule of the majority in the end shall prevail. And being the true statesmen that they are, they accept and respect it,” Lacson said
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, said that Mr. Aquino was looking forward to sign the bill before the end of the year.
“This is historic because this bill has been pending for some time. Many administrations have tried to come up with a bill on responsible parenthood,” he told reporters.
Rep. Edcel Lagman, who initiated the bill, shrugged off warnings by the church that bishops would campaign against the proponents of the law in next year’s general elections.
“It’s more of a threat than a reality. The experience in other Catholic countries is once a law is passed on reproductive health, even the church supports the law,” he said.
No doubt
Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao province, one of the authors of the bill, said that the measure was passed because there was no doubt on the party stand of the Liberal Party ( LP) chaired by President Aquino.
Baguilat disclosed that their party- mates who were against the bill, such as Representatives Roilo Golez of Parañaque City, Mel Senen Sarmiento of Western Samar province and Jonjon Mendoza of Bulacan, among others, decided not to show up than go against the LP stand supporting the measure.
“It was a collective decision [ for anti- RH lawmakers from LP] to be absent. They padded the lead. The second reading showed that most of the LP members voted yes on the RH reading, so it is clear that we should make our party stand, and our party stand is for the RH bill approval,” Baguilat said.
With the bill already passed by the two chambers, Congress will next reconcile the two versions in the Bicameral Conference Committee. Bicameral discussions on the RH measure are expected to begin today.
Once the bicameral panel reconciles the House and Senate versions, the measure would then be sent to Malacañang, so that the President can sign it into a law.
House Bill 4244, or the reproductive health, responsible parenthood, population and development measure mandates the state to guarantee public access to relevant information and education on medically safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies, including condoms.
Resounding
Baguilat said that some lawmakers who did not vote during the second reading made sure to be present on Monday. He cited Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol of Kalinga party-list who missed the second reading vote because of a study grant in Harvard, House Deputy Majority Leader Romero Quimbo of Marikina City who showed up on Monday, despite being stricken with dengue, Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar province who rushed home from the United States and Rep. Rodante Marcoleta of Alagad party-list who was absent during the second reading vote.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. voted a resounding yes for the bill’s passage.
“The President wants this to be signed this year. He doesn’t want to drag the discussion on this divisive issue until next year,” Baguilat, who will be one of the House contingent in the bicameral conference panel, added.
Sad day
But for Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the PhilippinesEpiscopal Commission on Family and Life, a majority vote doesn’t always tell the truth.
“Majority is covered by threats of pork barrel, favors and other government projects. It’s a very sad day for our country. What the church will do is to continue instructing our people, telling them the evils of contraceptives,” Reyes said.
“They should not accept it because contraceptives are not pro-poor and it’s not pro-children or pro-family. It is harmful against women, children, family,” Reyes added.
Reyes said that the President should not have intervened.
“It is harmful against women, children and marriage,” Reyes said.
He added that the church will not campaign against the lawmakers who voted for the measure and that bishops will pray for them instead.
Malacañang hailed the passage of the bill, saying that it signals not only a new chapter in the government’s agenda of inclusive growth but also begins a process of healing “for the wounds that may have been opened by an often feisty democracy.”
“We are confident that positive, meaningful engagement between the different branches of government will continue,” Lacierda said. “We thank our senators and congressmen who voted for access to information and care. They have made it even clearer: The people now have the government on their side as they raise their families in a manner that is just and empowered,” he added
“Discussions regarding this bill were heated and did not lack for passionate advocates from either side. Despite this, our legislators fulfilled their duties with honor: they crafted a law that can truly address the needs of our people,” he said