‘Gov’t can’t force people on RH Law’

MANILA, Philippines - The government cannot force the people to abide by measures to control the ballooning population of the country, the Supreme Court (SC) has said.

In its 106-page decision upholding the legality of the Reproductive Health Law, the high court explained that it voided provisions in the controversial law that gives the government coercive powers.

“Indeed, at present, the country has a population problem, but the state should not use coercive measures (like the penal provisions of the RH Law against conscientious objectors) to solve it,” read the ruling penned by Associate Justice Jose Mendoza, which was released yesterday.

It is for this primary reason that the high court struck down seven mandatory provisions in the law and a section in its implementing rules and regulations.

 The SC held that the RH law is “a mere compilation  and enhancement of the prior existing contraceptive and reproductive health laws, but with coercive measures,” citing the Population Act (Republic Act No. 6365), the Contraceptive Act (RA 4729) and the reproductive health for women or the Magna  Carta of Women (RA 9710), sans the coercive provisions of the assailed legislation.