Senate panels endorse RH bill for plenary approval

MANILA, Philippines — A joint panel in the Senate has formally endorsed for plenary approval  the controversial Reproductive Health bill aimed at providing informed choice and equal access to all methods of family planning.

Twenty senators, including two with dissenting opinions, signed Committee Report No. 49 prepared by the Senate committees on health, finance and youth, women, and family relations.

Those who signed were Senators Pia Cayetano, Franklin Drilon, Edgardo Angara, Gregorio Honasan, Teofisto Guingona III, Ferdinand Marcos, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr, Sonny Antonio Trillanes IV, and Serge Osmena.

Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Lito Lapid, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Joker Arroyo, Ralph Recto, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Alan Cayetano and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada.

The two with dissenting opinions were Sotto and Alan Cayetano, brother of Pia Cayetano, who heads the committees on health and youth.

“I concur and dissennt [with] respect to certain principles and provisions of the bill,” said Alan Cayetano.

“I’m affixing my signature to signify my desire to bring this committee report to a productive and enlightened debates on the floor,” he added.

Eight also signed with reservations and they were Drilon, Honasan, Trillanes, Lapid, Escudero, Zubiri, Revilla and Recto.

The committee report contained  consolidated Senate Bill Nos. 2378 and 2768, both providing for a national policy on reproductive health and population development.

Pia Cayetano said Monday only 12 signatures were needed to transmit the report to the plenary for either adoption or rejection.

A similar measure had been approved at the House of Representatives.