Support for RH bill sought
from The Manila Times
THE principal author of controversial Reproductive Health Bill asked his colleagues Friday that they must concentrate on the main issue at hand, and not be cowed by the threat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines that lawmakers who will support the bill may no longer be allowed to receive communion.
Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay said in an interview that his colleagues must stand on what they think is the best move to curb the fast growing population of the country, which is now pegged at 88.4 million based on the latest data of the National Statistics Office.
“We know for a fact that there is no such thing as [a] Catholic vote,” said Lagman, who looked irritated upon learning of the new pressure being applied by the bishops on House members who are planning to support the controversial bill.
He said the issue at hand is non-religious in nature and the Catholic bishops must open their eyes to the reality that the Filipino population is fast multiplying, because mothers and would-be mothers are never given the chance to choose how they can plan their family.
Lagman said his controversial measure already passed the House Committees on Health, Population and Family Relations and Appropriations.
He also hit the bill’s critics for their “long-winding interpellations, baseless procedural objection on the committees’ approval of the bill and irrelevant attacks on the funding and motives of NGO [non-government organization] advocates.”
Debates on the bill was temporarily suspended to give way to the discussions of the proposed P1.41-trillion national budget for 2009.
The controversial measure proposes mandatory age-appropriate reproductive health education starting from grade 5 and the purchase of contraceptives by state hospitals, among others.
Rep. Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque City argued the “pro-life” caucus had mustered a bigger number of lawmakers opposed to the Reproductive Health Bill.
He claimed the number of lawmakers who support shelving the controversial measure has increased to 110 from 75 two weeks ago.
“I don’t really know where he’s [Lagman is] getting his numbers,” Zialcita said.
– Sammy Martin
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