MANILA, Philippines (First published on Jan. 26, 2022; 10:52 a.m.) — Should victims of incest and rape have the option to get an abortion? Presidential aspirants interviewed by talk show host Boy Abunda so far are not closed to the proposal.
For presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., a law may be enacted to give access victims of sexual crimes access to legal and safe abortion. Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, although lack of access to safe procedures sometimes pushes women to try to get them through illicit clinics or by taking drugs and herbal concoctions.
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"I think for very severe cases," Marcos told Abunda in a one-on-one interview that aired Tuesday night. He added he agrees with abortion for severe cases "because we want to save the lives of people, we want to save the lives of women."
For the presidential aspirant, women who got pregnant due to rape should have the choice to abort or not. He added that for victims of incest, where the mother may be young or may otherwise not be capable of taking care of a child, abortion may be justified.
"The bottom line is, when it comes to the subject of abortion, it is a woman’s decision because it is her body," Marcos added.
Other rape victims may opt to raise the child, but Marcos stressed the choice would still be theirs. "They must be given a choice," he added.
Robredo: Conflicted but open to discussing decriminalization
Vice President Leni Robredo, who is also running for president, is less categorical with her answer, admitting she is "conflicted" about the issue, being a devout Catholic.
"I’m so conflicted about it, because my faith teaches me that killing is really not allowed," Robredo said in Filipino in an interview with Abunda that aired Wednesday.
"But having said that, I am against abortion, but for me, I am open to discussing its decriminalization," she said.
The vice president acknowledged that keeping abortion illegal just pushes women with unwanted pregnancies to seek underground and often unsafe abortion methods.
A bill pushing for legal abortion is expected to meet even stronger opposition from the Catholic Church that also took a strong stand against the passage of the Reproductive Health law, which widened access to contraceptives and to information about them.
A bill pushing for legal abortion is expected to meet even stronger opposition from the Catholic Church that also took a strong stand against the passage of the Reproductive Health law, which widened access to contraceptives and to information about them.
But Marcos said that he gives higher consideration to statistics of thousands of women who are hospitalized due to botched abortions, than the stand of the Catholic Church.
"As a public servant, what you are looking [for] is to avoid all of these tragedies, every single one of these statistics that you have read is a tragedy in itself. It affects the women involved, it affects the entire family. Generally, it affects the community, it affects them for the rest of their lives," he added.
Marcos’ interview with Abunda is his fourth that aired this week, after he received backlash for skipping Jessica Soho’s program and accusing the award-wining journalist of being “bias” for being “Anti-Marcos.”
Lacson: Further studies, more information needed
Abunda, who will be doing separate interviews for presidential bets, also asked Sen. Panfilo Lacson the same question in a prerecorded interview that aired Monday.
But Lacson admitted he was not prepared to answer the question on abortion for rape victims. "I don’t think I’m prepared to make a decision even as we speak now about that matter," the senator said.
"We need to know the far-reaching implications on women who were raped and cannot undergo abortion. We need to study this based on available data. We need to study this based on coordination, by consultation with experts," he said.
Lacson said they must also look into circumstances on how the pregnancy happened. "There are many scenarios—like what you [Abunda] said when the choice is between the lift of the mother and the child. For me, my response is, it should be their choice who they want to save," he added.
Isko: Life is life
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, said that he would not allow it.
"No. Life is life. Same thing that I apply to criminals. Due process will be observed, equal opportunity, equal chance," he said, as he segued into police operations in the capital city. He said that police in Manila avoid killing suspects.
"The same manner applied to any life. I don't like taking life so ayaw ko ng abortion (I don't want abortion)," he said, saying that even if the pregnancy is from rape or incest, the family, community and the State should step in to give support to the child at birth.
"When there is life already, nobody should take it away kasi pinagkaloob ng Diyos yun (because that is from God)," he said. "There is a life inside the womb. Life is life, only God can take it away. "
Pacquiao: No to abortion, rape victims should undergo counseling
Presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao, a fervent Evangelical Christian, said he is against abortion, even in rape-related pregnancies.
“Wala namang kasalanan ‘yung bata na ipagbuntis siya… 'Wag naman sanang maapektuhan ‘yung bata sa mga nangyayari,” Pacquiao told Abunda Friday.
(It’s not the child’s fault that he or she is conceived… The child should not be affected by what’s happening)
Instead, the boxing champion-turned-politician will push for a program that provides counselling to rape victims.
“Hindi pa naman tapos ang lahat, may pag-asa pang magbago ang lahat,” he said.
(It’s not all over yet. There is still hope that everything will change.)
“[Give them] a few months, mahi-heal ang sugat na ‘yan at maiintindihan nila nang mabuti. Kailangan lang ng tamang counseling sa isang bata.”
(Give them a few months. Wound will heal and they will understand. They just need proper counseling.)
Whan asked if the life of a baby is more important than the choice of a woman who was raped, Pacquiao responded: “Intindihin niya buhay ng bata. Ang bata nabuo ‘yan dahil may part ka.” Rape is non-consensual.
According to UN Women, violence against women and girls, such as rape, “has serious short- and long-term physical, economic and psychological consequences on women and girls, preventing their full and equal participation in society.”
— with Xave Gregorio and Gaea Katreena Cabico