Sammy Martin, Reporter
Manila Times

THE controversial population control legislation called the “RH Bill” is slowly turning into a religious war of sorts.

The Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Bill is now crawling to reach plenary sessions, with supporters hoping it passes on second reading.

That may be wishful thinking. The bill, now under House Committee Report 1156, is the subject of heavy debates between so-called moralists and liberated legislators and their supporters on the sidelines.

At least six prominent lawmakers have crossed party lines to bravely sponsor the bill, claiming they are not cowed by threats from some Catholic leaders that if the legislators continue pushing the bill, they are digging a big hole for their political careers.

The lawmakers are Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay, Jannette Garin of Iloilo, Narciso Santiago 3rd of the Alliance for Rural Concern party-list, Mark Leandro Mendoza of Batangas, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan party-list and Eleandro Madrona of Romblon.

Their intentions are immediately clear in Section 2 of their committee report under the Declaration of Policy: “The State upholds and promotes responsible parenthood, informed choice, birth spacing and respect for life in conformity with internationally recognized human rights standards.”

“The state shall uphold the rights of the people, particularly women and their organizations, to effective and reasonable participation in the formation and implementation of the declared policy.”

“The policy is anchored on the rationale that sustainable human development is better assured with a manageable population of healthy, educated and productive citizens.”

“The State likewise guarantees universal access to medically safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors.”

Principles

The legislators have identified the guiding principles on how these would be implemented if the bill becomes a law:

• In the promotion of Reproductive Health, there should be no bias for either modern or natural methods of family planning.
• Reproductive health goes beyond a demographic target because it is principally about health and rights.
• Gender equality and women empowerment are the central elements of reproductive health and population development.
• Since manpower is the principal asset of every country, effective reproductive health care services must be given primacy to ensure the birth and care of healthy children and to promote responsible parenting.
• The limited resources of the country cannot service a burgeoning multitude that makes the allocations grossly inadequate and effectively meaningless.
• Freedom of informed choice, which is central to the exercise of any right, must be fully guaranteed by the State like the right itself.
• While the number and spacing of children are left to the sound judgment of parents and couples based on their personal conviction and religious beliefs, such concerned parents and couples, including unmarried individuals, should be afforded free and full access to relevant, adequate and correct information on reproductive health and human sexuality and should be guided by qualified state workers and professional private practitioners.
• Reproductive health, including the promotion of breastfeeding, must be the joint concern of the national government and local governments.
• Protection and promotion of gender equality, women empowerment and human rights, including reproductive health rights, are imperative.
• Development is a multi-faceted process that calls for the coordination and integration of policies, plans, programs and projects that seek to uplift the quality of the life of the people, more particularly the poor, the needy and the marginalized.
• Active participation by and thorough consultation should be conducted with concerned non-government organizations. The participation of people’s organizations and communities are imperative to ensure that basic policies, plans, programs and projects address the priority needs of stakeholders.
• Respect for, protection and fulfillment of reproductive health rights seek to promote not only the rights and welfare of adult individuals and couples but those of adolescents’ and children’s as well.
• While nothing in the bill changes the law on abortion, as abortion remains a crime and is punishable, the government shall ensure that women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, nonjudgmental and compassionate manner.

Support

Despite strong opposition from critics, support for the RH Bill is gaining ground.

“The RH bill will save thousands of lives and widen the choices for women and couples in spacing their children,” says Arsenio Yulo Jr., president of the Rafael M. Salas Foundation.

“A nationwide program that seriously promotes modern and natural family planning methods will definitely save thousands of lives and will widen the choices for men and couples in spacing their children,” he adds. “It deserves to be supported by Congress.”

Similarly, business leaders belonging to the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) have signified its support for the passage of the bill.

“We laud our legislators, who, in spite of the Catholic Church hierarchy’s blackmailing tactics, are standing firm in championing the people’s demand for a comprehensive national population policy,” says ECOP Chairman Miguel Varela.

“We appeal to the Catholic Church hierarchy to listen to what the people are saying,” he points out, adding that surveys “indicate that 94 percent of married couples want to space pregnancy and 97 percent want the government to pass legislation and allocate funds for population and family planning programs.”

“It is a noble move to save the lives of our people and save our nation from the chronic problems brought about by increasing population,” says Jude Baggo, secretary-general of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance.

Legislators should not be cowed by the few people, organizations and institutions who advance their self-interests and irrational reasoning, he says. “We believe supporters of the bill are on the right track,” he adds.

“Critics of the bill must now heed the people’s clamor,” says Ramon San Pascual, executive director of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation. “They should allow the legislative process to take its course and must not resort to lies, threats and misinformation.”

Rep. Edcel Lagman, the principal author of the bill, has said in various occasions:

“The reproductive health [RH] bill promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. It assures an enabling environment where women and couples have the freedom of informed choice on the mode of family planning they want to adopt based on their needs, personal convictions and religious beliefs.

“The bill does not have any bias for or against either natural or modern family planning. Both modes are contraceptive methods. Their common purpose is to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

“Under this bill, contraceptives and other Reproductive health products shall be considered essential medicines and supplies and shall form part of the National Drug Formulary considering that family planning reduces the incidence of maternal and infant mortality.

“Reproductive health in an age-appropriate manner shall be taught by adequately trained teachers from Grade 5 to fourth-year high school. As proposed in the bill, core subjects include responsible parenthood, natural and modern family planning, proscription and hazards of abortion, reproductive health and sexual rights, abstinence before marriage, and responsible sexuality.

“No marriage license shall be issued by the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a Certificate of Compliance issued for free by the local Family Planning Office. The document should certify that they had duly received adequate instructions and information on family planning, responsible parenthood, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.

“The State shall encourage two children as the ideal family size. This is neither mandatory nor compulsory and no punitive action may be imposed on couples having more than two children.

“Employers shall respect the reproductive health rights of all their workers.

Congressman Lagman bewails the “continuing campaign to discredit the reproductive health bill through misinformation.”

He claims that his bill is “not anti-life” and is in fact “pro-quality life.”

“It will ensure that children will be blessings for their parents since their births are planned and wanted. It will empower couples with the information and opportunity to plan and space their children. This will not only strengthen the family as a unit but also optimize care for children who will have more opportunities to be educated, healthy and productive,” he said.

He emphatically denies that the bill will legalize abortion. “It expressly provides that abortion remains a crime and that prevention of abortion is essential to fully implement the Reproductive Health Care Program.”

He stresses that while management of post-abortion complications is provided in the bill, the aim is not “to condone abortion but to promote the humane treatment of women in life-threatening situations.”