Prioritize RH bill, Noy urged

MANILA, Philippines - House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman asked President Aquino yesterday to make the Reproductive Health (RH) bill one of his priority measures.

“I hope the President will certify it as a priority bill. It does not have to be certified as urgent,” he told STAR editors.

Joining him in the discussions were Bukidnon Rep. Joey Zubiri and Representatives Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora and Emmeline Aglipay of party-list group Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA).

Lagman said Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. had agreed to schedule the voting on the RH bill before the House votes on third and final reading on the proposed P1.8-trillion 2012 national budget.

He said the bill has been sufficiently discussed in the plenary. During the voting, interpellations will be limited to one hour for each turn.

Belmonte had told reporters that he wants the House to vote on the RH bill within the year.

Before the congressional recess that started on June 9, more than 10 members of the House had still wanted to question the authors of the bill.

Aglipay said the RH bill is not only about population management but women’s rights to plan their families and give proper spacing to the birth of their children to protect their health.

Angara said Aurora province was the first local government unit to adopt a reproductive health policy in 2005 when his aunt, Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, became governor.

He said his aunt was one of the authors of the first RH bill when she was a member of the 12th Congress in 2001.

Zubiri, on the other hand, said the RH bill has become “both a national security and food security issue.”

“We cannot continue with a burgeoning population like this. It’s a matter of survival,” he said.

The Senate committee on health chaired by Sen. Pia Cayetano has endorsed a committee report on the Reproductive Health bill authored by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.

‘Dissinformation drive’

The Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), meanwhile, yesterday dismissed reports that pork barrel will be used to buy condoms under the RH bill.

DSWP chair Elizabeth Angsioco said this is part of a “disinformation drive” by those opposing the bill.            

There were reports that Sen. Panfilo Lacson may withdraw his support for the bill if a provision for increasing the pork barrel of each congressmen by P300 million for condoms is included in the bill.

“There is nothing in the RH bill that says anything about adding on to pork barrel…This possibly is brought about by another disinformation drive by those who are vehemently opposing the bill,” Angsioco said.

Angsioco said the provision in the bill mandating each congressional district to buy a vehicle to transport health services to remote areas “may have been twisted” to make it appear that there will be additional pork for congressmen. “If this is the provision referred to, it is hard to imagine how some people can be against something that will definitely improve poor people’s access to health services,” she said.

Angsioco said groups opposing the bill may be looking for ways to deflect public attention from the scandal involving bishops who allegedly received luxury vehicles from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.