Lawmakers to meet with religious groups on RH bill

House of Representatives. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers will meet with members of religious groups soon to discuss contentious issues in the Reproductive Health Bill which has recently caused tension-filled sessions at the House of Representatives.
House minority leader Danilo Suarez told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that they met with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and other leaders of the House to initially discuss how to resolve issues which has delayed proceedings on House Bill 4244.
“We will be meeting with religious groups, I don’t know which groups,” he said.
Lawmakers have agreed to compromise and form a technical working group to be comprised of proponents and opposers of the bill, members of the executive, senators and even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. They are tasked of thinking of amendments which will be acceptable to all parties.
Iloilo Representative Janette Garin, a proponent of the RH Bill, has earlier said that she believes that they had the numbers to pass the bill but those opposing it could still hamper developments with delaying tactics.
But Suarez reacted that there need not be an RH Bill if lawmakers are suggesting of making contraceptives available for the poorest of the poor–specifically the 5.7 million couples identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program.
He said that a provision could be included in the CCT instead, a suggestion which other lawmakers present during the meeting said they would “consider.”
Privileged speeches by lawmakers attacking the RH Bill has derailed the opening of the proposed measure to amendments, something which has increased tension at the plenary.
Belmonte also spoke to Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez who made a scene Tuesday, questioning the accuracy of the House secretariat in its headcount of lawmakers present on the floor.
House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II said that they will resume tackling the RH Bill after the technical working group comes up with acceptable amendments.