Fierce debates delay Reproductive Health bill deliberations

Fierce and intense debates that sometimes got too personal yesterday forced the leadership of the House of Representatives to defer deliberations on the highly sensitive reproductive health bill until January next year.

“We have decided to defer deliberation on the RH bill due to heated and emotional debates and schedule it upon our return on January 19,” said House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor, who hosted a lunch for Congress reporters in his office.

The Iloilo congressman, who was also a former governor, was referring to the lengthy and sometimes offensive debates between RH bill main author Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay and those opposing the measure during plenary session.

Lagman is defending House Bill 5043 or the Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008, before anti-RH Deputy Speaker Raul de Mar and Reps. Pablo Garcia, Roilo Golez and Annie Rosa Susano, among others.

Reproductive health advocates in the House of Representatives earlier said they would not yield an inch to bishops who want to do away with the promotion of artificial contraceptives and sex education as a means to encourage family planning.

“With all due respect to the bishops, this is the heart of the bill and this is a minimum for us. A national reproductive health policy would be for naught if the promotion of artificial contraceptives and sex education are removed,” Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros said.

The female party-list congresswoman said they are “open to dialogue” with the Catholic bishops, who are vigorously opposed to the measure, provided these two issues are not included in the agenda. “Akbayan cannot concede on these issues.”

“We welcome their openness for a dialogue, which is what Akbayan has been calling for in the past,” said Hontiveros. She said the dialogue should clear the air of animosity and the climate of ignorance surrounding the bill.

“Even those who are in favor of the bill will vote on it based on their conscience. But we all have to make an informed decision, and we cannot let animosity or ignorance become the basis of our vote,” the deputy minority leader said.

Hontiveros also suggested “if the bishops really want to know the truth behind the bill, they may wish to undergo an orientation on Reproductive Health and observe sex education workshops for adolescents and adults.”

The opposition lawmaker also expressed willingness to facilitate RH orientation and sex education workshops for bishops. “There is nothing insidious in the use of artificial contraceptives and in the conduct of sex education for adolescents.”

“What the bill hopes to do is promote public health – to inform young Filipinos about the dangers of irresponsible sex, to give mothers choices on how they wish to manage their families and avoid unwanted pregnancies, and more importantly, prevent the death of hundreds of Filipino women because of abortion.”

She said that what is infernal is the desperation bred by the lack of informed choice and ignorance.

“Many resort to unsafe abortion practices or become impoverished precisely because they were not given a choice,” added Hontiveros.

“The bill is a long overdue remedy to this problem.”