Ho-hum: House not keen on debating RH bill this week

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II

The controversial reproductive health (RH) bill will not be tackled in the House of Representatives this week to give way to other measures that would be discussed on the floor, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Tuesday.

Gonzales said the RH bill would be scheduled for discussion next week upon the instruction of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

“We’ll take up other pending measures this week,” Gonzales said.

The period of amendments for the RH bill has been delayed because opponents of the measure have been delivering privilege speeches whenever the bill is scheduled to be taken up on the floor, saying that they had a right to deliver privilege speeches.

Supporters of the RH bill have voiced their opposition to the practice but under House rules privilege speeches take precedence over other motions, save for questions of quorum and motions to adjourn.

Belmonte had said that he would lay down the ground rules for the debates on the RH bill and talk to the opposing sides.