Miriam Defensor Santiago, Pia Cayetano fear shelving of RH bill

Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Pia Cayetano, author and cosponsor, respectively, of the reproductive health (RH) bill in the Senate, expressed apprehension the measure, which has been undergoing debate, would be shelved at the onset of Congress’ plenary sessions on the national budget, which usually takes until the yearend.

In a forum at the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Thursday, both senators, rabid proponents of Senate Bill No. 2865 or the Reproductive Health Act of 2011, asked at least 400 inter-university students to lobby for the bill among senators.

The bill has undergone various revisions as it was debated in five congresses which bypassed it in favor of other bills. It has never come to a vote.

“Write, tweet, e-mail your senators. Tell them you’re watching them,” said Santiago.

Santiago identified Sections 7 and 9 as the most contentious portions of the bill, which tackles public access to family planning information and methods such as condoms, injectables and pills, among other things.

“The bill simply gives women, especially the poorest of the poor, the freedom of informed choice. It merely teaches them about the various family planning methods. It does not compel them to adopt any particular method,” she said.

Cayetano told the students the debate had not gotten to the issue of sex education.

She said the bill would provide age-appropriate sex education to adolescent youth. It, however, does not specify an age bracket for the sex education which would be defined upon implementation, Cayetano said.

“Social media is the way to go. It is very democratic and it is the platform of choice among the young people,” Santiago said.