President Benigno Aquino III. AP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Without being certified as urgent by President Benigno Aquino III, House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II said that it was unlikely that they will be able to approve the Reproductive Health Bill within the week.
“If we want this to be transmitted to the Senate before we adjourn, the best chance is for it to be certified as urgent by the President,” Gonzales told reporters during a media forum on Tuesday, stressing that they have only eight session days left before they go on Christmas break,
More delays were seen as legislators against the Reproductive Health Bill made good on their vow to scrutinize the amendments to the measure line by line, starting on Monday when they began with the process of deliberating on individual amendments. The substitute version has 27 pages and lawmakers have so far tackled line 2 on its second page.
“I believe in my heart that the President should certify this. It will give a boost to have it certified but we leave that to the President,” said Gonzales.
If certified as an urgent measure, the RH Bill can be voted on third reading after it is passed on second reading, disregarding the three-day rule. Measures not certified as urgent cannot be deliberated until three days have passed after its second reading.
Aquino had met with some 170 legislators over lunch on Monday to discuss the fate of the RH Bill, urging them to put the measure to a vote. The President also said that if he were to vote he would vote for the passage of the measure.
Gonzales said that it was up to their members how they would interpret the President’s statement.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, the main proponent of the RH Bill, said that the President’s words were unmistakably an endorsement for the bill while for Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat Jr. the personal appeal was even stronger than a certification as urgent.
Despite the absence of a certification from the President, Gonzales said they would continue pushing for the RH Bill.
He pointed out that even though the antis were persistent “somebody has to give later on. Hindi ko lang alam sino ang bibigay (I don’t know who will give in).”
Lagman has earlier called on fellow lawmakers not to abuse nominal voting on the RH Bill which the antis insisted on during Monday’s session. Gonzales said, however, that the reason he allowed such method was to find out where they stood on the RH Bill.
The House of Representatives is expected to resume tackling individual amendments to the measure once it resumes session at 4 p.m.