The color purple

Instead of wallowing in despair, reproductive health advocates praised the Supreme Court’s status quo ante order stopping the Palace and concerned agencies from implementing Republic Act No. 10354 or the Reproductive Health (RH) Law. 

Mary delos Santos, a quiet, unassuming representative of the Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kana-yunan (national coalition of women in the rural areas), said the first time she and  co-farmers  learned  of  the  SC decision, “nagimbal kami (we were shocked),  but we also felt good, because now we have the chance to explain again to women what the RH law is all about, why it is good for the health and well-being of their families.”

 Mary was one of panelists gathered yesterday by Rom Dongeto, executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), at the launch of Purple Vote, a movement which speaks of people’s right to informed decision-making. This right involves voting for candidates in the national and local levels who support reproductive health as well as other criteria as character and integrity.

The launch, however, was seemingly softened by the High Tribunal’s decision to stop the executive department from implementing the RH law, which was originally scheduled to take effect on March 31. It ordered holding in abeyance decision on the law for 120 days, after listening to oral arguments on its constitutionality June 18, and passing the judgment on July 18.

At the launch of Purple Vote, the panelists had to answer questions re the High tribunal’s order. Atty. Beth Pangalanan said reproductive health advocates were disappointed by the ruling. She was one of personalities deciphering all provisions that would violate the Constitution, and not one did. She said, “We are hoping that in the oral arguments, the Supreme Court will not be dissuaded by political forces.”

Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio of the UP Women Studies Center said she hoped the court will allow her and former Secretary Esperanza Cabral to present arguments on the necessity of the law to help women. “We could answer questions like, ito  ba ay abortion?” She also said that women have the option to choose family planning methods — that it is “not an imposition on women.”

For her part, Dr. Cabral, said the ruling is “part of the democratic process. We should follow it.” 

The objective of the Purple Vote launch was not lost, however. Dr. Cabral, at the opening, read the advocates’ statement, which hailed the signing of the law’s implementing rules and regulations five days earlier, on March 15, and would have been implemented had not the SC issued a status quo ante order. “RH is our right; the RH Law protects it,” the statement said.

Written before the SC order, the statement said something prophetic: “Yet, as we celebrate its (the law’s) enactment, we know that the battle is far from over and legislation is only the beginning. We are prepared that the measure will be challenged every step of the way ‑ from legislation until implementation.”

The statement said: “Like the RH Law, the Purple Vote speaks of the right to informed decision-making. Through the Purple Vote, we shall use our right to vote to guarantee everything that the RH Law stands for: freedom of informed choice, access to RH information and services, and maternal and child health.”

 The Purple Vote then urges “every Filipino voter to choose candidates, whether running for national or local positions, who believe in and who will stand by what the RH Law means, who will make sure of its purposeful and meaningful implementation, make sure that programs and services on RH will be funded by the government as the Law provides, and who will not put the interests of a few before the good of the people.”

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Meanwhile, Benjamin de Leon, president of Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum) and POPCOM commissioner, expressed concern that Catholic Church leaders who are vocal about their preference for candidates who are anti-RH would go as far as using NAMFREL and PPCRV to campaign against Pro-RH candidates. “This may be farfetched, but they can’t fault us for having such a perception.”

The Forum is a non-government organization (NGO) active in promoting reproductive health and is among those organizations involved in the campaign for the passage of the RH bill into law. 

De Leon said that while organizations like NAMFREL and PPCRV have a long history of poll watching during national elections, they are also known to be closely connected with the heirarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Catholic Church leaders in the past were silent about their choice of candidates but in recent years, the dominant religious group in the country have started to be openly vocal about their “preferred” candidates especially at the national level. 

In late February of this year, the diocese of Bacolod put up the controversial tarpaulin that named pro-RH senatorial candidates as Team Patay and anti-RH candidates as Team Buhay. Initially, the diocese defied orders of COMELEC to take down the tarpaulin in order to conform to the prescribed size under COMELEC rules. The diocese has since cut the tarpaulin in half to become two sets of tarpaulins in front of San Sebastian church. “To brand pro-RH candidates as Team Patay is unfair,” De Leon said.

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Josy Sy Limkaichong is running for the post of  governor of the province of Negros Oriental, not Negros Occidental, as was erroneously stated in the title of  my column last Tuesday. She is serving her second term as representative of the 1st district of Negros Oriental, but was requested by President P-Noy to run for governor under the banner of the Liberal Party in the May 13 election.

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Zoomanity Group, the leading company in the theme park industry, is launching its “Zummer Zoo Much Fun Events” with a “Zoobic’s ‘Night Safari’”on Saturday, March 23. An exciting feature in the night safari is the “Lion Safari Ride,” in which guests are invited to see up close the Kings of the Jungle, and ride on them. Not to worry, Zoomanity Group chief Robert Yupangco told us sometime ago: “the lions are well-trained to be tame, and game guides will be taking care of both human riders and animals.”

Zoobic Safari is the only Tiger Safari in the Philippines located in the heart of the forest of Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It is a 25-hectare amusement park with some 65 tigers. The night safari is held every Saturday, from March 23 to May 25, from 6 p.m. onwards. It features a one-of-its-kind animal show and parade, a poi dance, an aetas’ fire dance, and fire drumbeaters.

For inquiries, contact Ivy Raquion, cp 09157718932 or Karren Cernal  at 899-9828; 899-9595 loc. 347; cp  0999-4903941, and  e-mail: [email protected].

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My e-mail: [email protected]