Showdown: House OK of RH bill seen today

MANILA, Philippines - Congress is seen to pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill by a narrow margin as the two chambers tackle the Palace-certified measure today.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile sees a close vote once the Senate goes into the final amendment to be presented by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III today.

Barely four days before the Christmas break, Enrile admitted yesterday seeing the RH bill getting the nod of the majority of senators.

For his part, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of the RH bill at the House of Representatives, said anti-RH lawmakers and their supporters from the Catholic Church would be defeated in the final voting today.

House Bill 4244 is set to be voted on third and final reading this afternoon with its proponents expecting a wider margin and its opponents vowing to overturn the voting in their favor.

“The writing on the wall spelling the defeat of anti-RH critics is verily patent, which even the blind can perceive,” Lagman said.

“All viva voce and nominal voting consistently and repeatedly trounced those opposed to the measure,” Lagman said, referring to the RH Bill’s passage on second reading last Dec. 12 by a vote of 113-104.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, a staunch opponent of the measure, said the “battleground” today is the 62 lawmakers who were either absent or abstained in the last voting.

House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II said in a radio interview that all efforts are being done to ensure quorum this afternoon even as he admitted that there remains strong lobbying by both opponents and proponents of the bill, which Aquino touted as both an anti-poverty and health measure.

“It’s an open secret that (both sides) have their own tallies on (lawmakers’ position on the RH bill). We think the pro-RH bloc has a slight advantage this time. Out of the more than 50 congressmen absent (the last time), maybe 20, 25 or 30 are pro-RH,” Gonzales said.

He said only about 26 congressmen from the Liberal Party (LP) of President Aquino voted against the measure. But when the President certified the bill as urgent, he sent the message that he was serious in seeing the final approval of the measure.

A conscience vote

Enrile lamented however the measure will affect the country’s development in the next few decades.

“History will judge us,” Enrile said.

“I am not saying that I am right but we have enemies around the world as a country, if the citizenry will be old, then small countries will kneel down to stronger countries if a country does not have people to defend its territory,” he said.

In a radio interview, Enrile also expressed belief that RH issue will be a “conscience vote.”

Enrile cited as examples the Electricity Power Rates Reform Act (EPRRA) and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program laws that were passed by Congress but never really achieved its goals to help lower electricity rates, and the land distribution program, respectively.

Sotto, on the other hand, is scheduled to take the podium again today to debate the measure. He would be introducing 31 amendments to the bill.

“They can say whatever they want to say, as long as I can introduce my amendments,” Sotto said.

Since President Aquino has certified the bill as an urgent measure, it is expected that the Senate will pass it on second and on third and final reading this week before Congress goes into a Yuletide break on Dec. 21.

Gonzales and Rodriguez denied that Aquino had dangled pork barrel funds in exchange for a “yes” vote among lawmakers.

Rodriguez however believed the RH bill will not make it to the last hurdle.

“We (anti-RH) had 104 votes on second reading and 62 were absent and 40 of them signified to us before that they are with us. We expect that we will overcome the lead of the pro-RH. The 113 lawmakers will not switch sides so the battleground is 62,” he said.

Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., who abstained from the voting despite being pro-RH, said some lawmakers like him would vote for the measure if some of the provisions were amended, including lack of clear budgetary source for the bill.

“The provision on using PDAF to buy mobile clinics, to me, is a crass attempt to curry votes. There is no need to use pork lard as a lubricant in conceiving this law. The proposed penalty on malicious chismis (rumors) on RH matters impinges on free speech. The section on ‘Employer’s Responsibilities’ carries oppressive sanctions,” Andaya said.