Sen. Pia Cayetano on RH bill

Sen. Pia S. Cayetano took the floor Tuesday to sponsor the Senate version of SBN 2865, or “An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health and Population and Development.”

With the many wrong articulations by anti-RH groups about the Reproductive Health bill now pending in Congress, let me cite the salient points in the senator’s sponsorship speech.

The bill, according to the senator, does not promote or legalize abortion; does not impose one mode of family planning method on all, but allows every person to choose the method suitable to his needs and his religious beliefs; does not impose a certain family size, 4) does not teach nine-year-olds to use a condom, nor does it promote sexual activity among the youth.

The bill, said the senator, saves the lives of the mother and the unborn, provides Filipinos with information on their reproductive health so they can make informed and intelligent decisions, and provides Filipinos with access to health care facilities and skilled health professionals.

On giving women access to skilled health professionals before, during, and after delivery, the bill addresses the number of mothers who die while giving birth and the high incidence of infant mortality which are connected with maternal health. The depressing reality, said Cayetano, is that for every 100,000 live births, 162 mothers die.

Accordingly, the bill calls for the establishment and upgrading of facilities with adequate and qualified personnel, equipment and supplies in every province or city to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care.

With the rising number of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, Section 11 provides that all serious and life-threatening reproductive health conditions shall be given the maximum benefits under PhilHealth, such as the provision of Anti-Retroviral Medicines.

Section 13 of the bill provides that reproductive health education will be taught by adequately trained teachers. It is important that minors “are taught the value of healthy relationships including how abstinence is still the best form of protection from pregnancy and diseases.”

Cayetano said just because we are a predominantly Catholic country “does not mean we can impose Catholic dogma on every Filipino. That is the job of the clergy. In the halls of Congress, the Constitution is clear – there must be a separation of Church and State.”

Defining contraceptives said Cayetano, is not the function of the Senate, but is the function of the Food and Drug Administration. It will not simplify the debate by simply banning all abortifacients. For example, Cayetano said, a careless phrase like “no other drug known to be an abortifacient will be made available in the Philippines” sounds like a statement we could all support. But what most of us do not understand is the fact that many life-saving drugs are made available to an ailing mother to address her medical condition although there is a possibility that they may be harmful to a pregnant mother and her fetus.”

The bill, Cayetano said, is “not carved in stone,” and welcomes healthy debate. She appealed to her male colleagues “for patience and understanding and above all, an open mind. Because although reproductive health affects both men and women, it is primarily a women’s issue.”

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An interesting libel case has been filed recently against Stradcom information officer Margaux Salcedo who made a statement that Raymundo Junia, president of Road Users Protection Advocates (Rupa) and his group were out to ruin Stradcom, the Land Transportation Office’s exclusive provider of information technology services.   

To put things in perspective, Rupa had filed a P2.2-billion plunder case on April 27 last year in the Office of the Ombudsman against Stradcom officers and directors over the “questionable” interconnectivity fees Stradcom had allegedly collected from insurance companies and private emission testing centers. A Stradcom spokesperson, Salcedo defended the IT company.

Junia’s complaint, filed in the Laguna prosecutor’s office, said Salcedo’s statement that came out in several newspapers on May 13 claimed that Junia and his advocacy group “were only playing as fronts” to ruin Stradcom.

Salcedo had been quoted in news reports as saying, “We feel that the motives of the complainant in filing the (plunder) case should be known. With the recent attack by the (Bonifacio) Sumilang group on the Land Transportation Office IT facility last Dec. 9, 2010, we feel that the filing of the plunder case is part of a concerted effort by the groups (Rupa) to deliberately bring down the company (Stradcom).”

 A recent press release filed on the Internet said that although Rupa was recently incorporated, the advocacy group, according to Junia, had championed the interest of road users for over a decade already, and was recognized by the Toll Regulatory Board and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

For maligning his credibility, Junia has filed a P1-million libel suit against Salcedo.

The Laguna prosecutor’s office will decide whether the libel case will prosper or not. I have stated the views of both sides – Juinia’s and Salcedo’s.

As many will recall, Margaux is a former spokesperson of former President Joseph Estrada. I have not met her personally, but saw her being interviewed on television, and I was quite impressed by her articulation of issues raised against Erap. She is a lawyer, attended the Ateneo University Law School, is a former GMA broadcaster, and writes a food column for a magazine.

A friend confirmed my impression of her. He said he had “watched Margaux’s career as a political mouthpiece and consider her one of the more credible spokespersons, not only because of her legal and media background but because she takes pains to do research before speaking on behalf of her principals. She is also very cautious not to offend detractors, only sticking to issues. During the 2010 campaign, she is said to have advised the former president (Erap) not to attack then-Senator Aquino and Manny Villar, and stick to the issues. The result was a wiser, more statesmanlike Erap, instead of the image of a thug his former media advisers had taken advantage of. And instead of being reminded of his kanto-boy habits, we were instead made to recall his achievements in agriculture, peace and order, even in economic development.”

Asked to comment on the case filed by Junia, Margaux said, “... (As) a personal policy, when I speak for any principal — whether former President Erap, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, PDP Laban, Stradcom or other personalities – I always make sure my statements are based on the truth, on hard evidence or factual observations.”

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My email:[email protected].