Lacson optimistic on RH bill vote this year

MANILA, Philippines -  Sen. Panfilo Lacson remains optimistic that the Senate can vote on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill before Congress goes into Christmas break.

“This will move forward at the Senate. Inevitably, we will have to vote on this,” Lacson said in a radio interview.

He noted that Sen. Pia Cayetano’s committee on health and demography has been kind enough to accommodate the questions – which some describe as delaying tactics – by those who are against the measure at the chamber.

He said he expects Cayetano to put an end to the interpellation.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who is also for the passage of the controversial measure, noted that those who have been delaying the passage of the RH bill fear the wrath of the Catholic Church.

She is hopeful that the Senate will wrap up its period of interpellation since the lawmakers will be busy with plenary deliberations on the 2013 budget.

She noted that Congress will also have a long break sometime in February to pave way for the election campaign for the May elections next year.

“It’s possible that because of their delaying tactics there will be no third reading or voting on the RH bill. It’s been more than 10 years that the bill is delayed because those who are against it are afraid,” Santiago said, adding that those who oppose the measure do not want to have a vote.

She said that as proponents of the measure, she and Cayetano can challenge their colleagues to vote for the measure so that they will know whether it would hurdle the plenary debates or not.