Pia Cayetano yet to decide whether to appeal SC ruling on RH law

Senator Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Advocates of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) law that was declared constitutional by the Supreme Court have yet to decide whether or not to appeal the eight provisions of the law stricken down by the high court, Senator Pia Cayetano said on Wednesday.

“I think those discussions will be happening now…,” Cayetano, one of the authors of the law, said in a television interview when asked if advocates of the controversial law would appeal the provisions that were declared unconstitutional by the high tribunal.

She said the  respondents on the petition filed against the law have yet to receive the decision of the court made public Tuesday.

And as one of the intervenors, Cayetano said she was among those who would decide whether or not to file a motion for reconsideration on the said eight provisions of the law.

The court rejected, among others, a provision of the law that seeks to provide minors access to contraceptives without parental consent and another provision that punishes any health care provider that fails or refuses to promote RH programs.

But Cayetano said the law remained strong despite the court’s rejection of certain provisions.

“I would not say that it now has less teeth. I fact I think it’s just okay because I could have passed that law without those provisions…,” she said.

“I’m a lawyer, I know my Constitution so I know what ‘s being debated and clear it’s clear with me that with or without those provisions, the laws is strong,” Cayetano added in a mixture of English and Filipino.

The high tribunal also struck out a provision that requires private health facilities and non-maternity hospitals owned and operated by a religious group to refer patients, not in an emergency or life threatening cases, to another health facility.

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