Duterte: Sereno ‘sitting on’ TRO vs contraceptive implants

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was “sitting” on the temporary restraining order against two provisions of the Reproductive Health Law.

The Supreme Court had issued a TRO against two specific contraceptives regulated under the RH Law, specifically the two implants, Implanr and Impanon NXT.

READ: No lifting of TRO on contraceptive implants, says SC

The TRO has prohibited the Department of Health to procure, sell, distribute, administer, advertise and promote the two contraceptives, which have been certified by the Food and Drug Administration to have “abortifacient character.”

“Until now, two years ago, nag-expire na ‘yung medisina; Sereno is sitting on it. What’s the problem, ma’am? Gumastos tayo, bumili na tayo ng medisina tapos nag-expire na lang,” Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang.

“And yet, nagbili tayo ng medisina, expecting that it would, you know, be needed by the government — para maumpishan na,” he added.

The President said the high court could issue a decision and not prolong the TRO.

“A simple presentence would say if you are going to deny it, ‘We denied it because it is an abortive substance,'” he said.

“Hanggang ngayon wala. And yet you call us for slow movement. There is something terribly wrong with our country. I tell you, very, very wrong,” he added.

In his second State of the Nation Address (Sona), Duterte called on the high court to reconsider its decision to issue the TRO on the two provisions of the RH Law. JE