House opens period of RH bill amendments, OKs substitute bill

Pangasinan Rep. Kimi Cojuangco patches things up with Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II after the House of Representatives finally mustered a quorum and tackled the RH Bill Monday.

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the abrupt adjournment Monday, the House of Representatives was finally able to tackle the controversial Reproductive Health Bill and open its period of amendments.

There were 174 lawmakers present after the roll was called at plenary, upon which just like Albay Representative Edcel Lagman foresaw, the RH Bill was taken up.

A substitute bill for House Bill 4244 more popularly known as the RH bill, adopted through a proposal from House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II, met much opposition from Palawan Representative Dennis Socrates and Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia but was eventually accepted.

Under the new version of the bill, the State will only promote “access to relevant information and education on medically-safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies which do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”

It also seeks to give priority to the reproductive health needs of women and men in marginalized households as identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and other government measures of identifying marginalization. These beneficiaries will receive reproductive health care, services and supplies for free.

The State will also promote openness to life, under the said version of the bill “provided that parents bring forth to the world only those children that they can raise in a truly humane way.”

Garcia, a known opponent of the legislation, raised the question on how the proposed amendments to the measure were made. He said that the substitute bill was very different from HB 4244 and unanimous consent was necessary to adopt the new version.

The substitute version was however accepted in the end and next up for the RH bill are its individual amendments.

Lagman, main proponent of the bill, said the pro-RH bill lawmakers would ensure there is a quorum on Tuesday.

Pangasinan Representative Kimi Cojuangco, who earlier blamed Gonzales for the lack of quorum, apologized to the majority floor leader in front of reporters. “I was emotional and I am asking for his forgiveness. I hope we can work together.”

Gonzales said that he took such conflicts as something that was part of his job in the House leadership. “I never took it personally as I understand that both antis and pros can be very passionate about their advocacy.”

“I assured Kimi that I understood her. I wasn’t hurt. It goes with my territory. I’ve accepted it as part of my job,” he said, referring to the Pangasinan lawmaker’s outburst on Twitter.

Gonzales said that the decision to tackle the RH Bill was reached suddenly after he saw an opening. “It doesn’t mean this was approved on second reading but only for the orderly proceedings. We still have the individual amendments. This was done to accelerate process,” he explained.

“But this is still a victory,” said Cojuangco who was upbeat after the period of amendments was finally opened.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told reporters that he had earlier met with leaders of coalitions and requested their help in reaching a quorum.

“Ever since we started the 15th Congress, nobody had faulted us for lack of quorum until now. So I appealed to them to talk to their members,” he said.

“On the RH Bill, I was hoping that we can at least finish the period of amendments so we know what it looks like. At least we can have a bill to vote yes or no on,” said Belmonte.