Anti-RH bill solons take ‘undue advantage of House rules

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines—Anti-Reproductive Health Bill lawmakers are taking “undue advantage” of the rules of the House of Representatives in their effort to derail the proposed measure from being opened to amendments through personal and collective privilege, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said on Friday.

The lawmaker joined deputy majority leader Janette Garin in calling on the House leadership to no longer tolerate the efforts of anti-RH Bill congressmen who have, for two sessions already, halted developments on House Bill 4244.

Garin said that their group was just “being polite” by allowing privilege speeches on the floor.

The House will resume discussions on the RH Bill on August 28 as sessions are suspended on during the observance of Eid’l Fitr next week.

“I appeal to the House leadership to foreclose the malevolent and dilatory filibustering and strictly enforce the rile on ‘questions of privilege’ because more than a right, this privilege to speak is subject to the permission of the presiding officer,” Lagman said.

He cited Section 101 of the Rules of the House which provides that “questions of privilege are those affecting the duties, conducts, rights, privileges, dignity, integrity or reputation of the House or of its members, individually or collectively.”

Two lawmakers made notable dents on efforts of pro-RH Bill House members to start the crucial period of amendments on HB 4244. These were Palawan Representative Dennis Socrates and Paranaque Representative Roilo Golez.

Socrates was able to derail the move to begin the period of amendments by appealing to be allowed a privilege speech on the integrity of the House after its members moved the date of terminating the RH Bill debates to an earlier date. But while the Palawan representative was not allowed to give his speech, Golez on the other hand was given the chance to speak about the devastation caused by the intense monsoon rains which inundated a large portion of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Golez’s move to suspend deliberations on HB 4244 was however left hanging when the session was suspended.

These speeches were “not within the ambit of questions of privilege,” according to Lagman. He said that the speeches were only meant to “temporize and hold hostage the legislation.”

“The leadership should fix a schedule for the further consideration of the RH bill in the same process that the deliberation of the General Appropriations Bill is delimited by a definite timeframe,” the lawmaker added.