MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will co-sponsor the Reproductive Health bill in the debates this week with Sen. Pia Cayetano, its principal sponsor.
Cayetano’s original co-sponsor, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, will be on official leave from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2 to travel to the Hague, Netherlands, on the first leg of her campaign as the country’s nominee for a position in the International Criminal Court. Marcos belongs to the Nacionalista Party, like Cayetano and Santiago.
Cayetano and Santiago have been defending the measure in the Senate since the debates started in August. Discussions on the bill have intensified as questions focus on whether life begins in the performance of sexual intercourse or at conception.
Lapid’s questions
Even Sen. Lito Lapid, who has not actively participated in the debates, has raised questions on how the use of contraceptives may affect child-bearing.
Lapid has said that his limited participation in the discussions is caused by his lack of proficiency in the use of the English language. Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who opposes the bill, favors the conduct of the debates in Filipino not only so that Lapid can participate in the discussions but also to make the public better understand the provisions of the measure.
“Ako ang kumausap sa kanya, sabi ko nga sa kanya, maganda nga kung mapapag-usapan ito in Filipino para mas maraming makaintindi (I talked to him and I said it would be better to discuss this is Filipino so that more people would understand it),” Sotto said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is also against the bill.