RH Bill battle continues

This week the House of Representatives finally voted on the  Reproductive Health Bill that hopefully will  settle the controversy. But I guess for some  anti-RH Bill advocates, the battle is not yet over  since the   Senate is still going to decide on the issue next week.

The RH Bill is Congress’ most controversial legislation. It has  divided our people and nation so much so that even in the House of Representatives debate has become  heated and often emotional with the antis trying their  best to block its passage and using dilatory tactics in parliamentary procedure.

Pro-RH legislators extended their patience to accommodate some demands of  anti-RH legislators just to get the bill passed.

The vote was very  tight, a difference of only nine votes between both camps.  In the final day of voting, advocates and supporters from both sides  were present in the gallery  in the Batasan building to witness and give support to the legislators.

I saw many bishops,  priests and nuns in the gallery supporting anti-RH bill advocates while the pro-RH supporters  headed by  Risa Hontiveros Baraquel were all seated in the lower gallery.

After the final vote, pro-RH supporters broke into applause while  anti-RH supporters were appalled by the result and vowed to continue the fight till the end. They  left the gallery quietly while  pro-RH supporters were celebrating.

The debate allowed  many of us to arrive at an intelligent decision of what is good for our country and people.  Proponents of the  bill basically argued for health care for women while critics said the concern was already addressed by the Magna Carta for Women.

The antis asserted that the RH bill would never solve the problem of poverty just like experienced by some populous nations. Countries that have adopted birth control programs are experiencing an graying  population where many of its citizens belong to the  senior bracket  with fewer  children so much so that these countries now offer tax incentives  to encourage families to have more children.

The anti-RH camp also asserted that the population is the number one resource of the nation that has tremendously helped the economy especially with OFW remittances.

Pro-RH advocates emphasize that our scarce resources can’t support  a runaway population. This has  led many  people to a life of poverty when   scarce resources may be used for other important social services if only we have a manageable population.

I had hoped members of the House would  vote in accordance with their personal conviction and not based on political factors.

Three congressmen abstained and even more were absent from the plenary hall to avoid voting at all not because they are against the RH bill, but because they support the President who is in favor of it.

I would have wished to see more  courageous legislators casting their votes because of their personal beliefs instead of succumbing to political pressure.

I am expecting  more intense debate in the Senate whose members are more independent  minded than their counterparts in the Lower House.

They are  unlikely to succumb to political pressure and  would even cross party lines in their vote.  I expect the Catholic Church to vigorously continue its campaign to oppose the passage of the RH bill  based on their conviction that it violates  church  doctrine.

I also expect the pro-RH bill advocates not to give up the fight that they feel  they are winning.

But I seek the patience of the people and hope they take care in discerning  issues presented by both sides.  Let’s decide on the basis of conscience.

And may the senators  vote in accordance with their conviction and not out of political considerations.