President Aquino urged to keep mum on RH bill

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III should refrain from issuing statements about the controversial Reproductive Health bill so as not to further anger the Catholic Church, a senator suggested on Monday.

“Ang akin lamang po, sana huwag na lamang po siyang magsalita ukol sa bagay na ito. Hayaan na lang ang mga Cabinet secretaries, nandiyan ang DSWD (I think he should not speak about this issue and just let his secretaries talk in his behalf; there is the DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development]),” Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said in a radio interview.

“Kasi mas lalong napipikon ang simbahan sa isyu na ito. Hayaan na lamang niya ang mga secretaries, (When he speaks out, the more he angers the Church, so let his secretaries do the talking),” he explained.

Instead of engaging in public debates, Zubiri said it would be better to conduct a new survey to find out the real sentiments of the people regarding the bill.

The senator himself is undecided on the issue, saying that while he supports a provision of the bill providing maternal health care for women, he is opposed to the proposed sex education for Grade 5 students.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the bill would be passed not only by the House of Representatives but also the Senate.

“We are willing to pass all possible hurdles placed in our way, because we are confident of final victory,” Santiago said in a statement.

Santiago, who also filed an RH bill in the Senate, noted that the House version seemed “to be headed for a win.”

“If the RH bill is passed in the House, the political momentum will be carried over to the Senate. The senators will realize that the surveys are correct and the majority of the public support RH as part of every individual’s freedom of conscience,” she said.

She conceded, however, that it would be pointless to debate it in the Senate should the bill fail to get the approval of the House.

With Congress adjourning on June 9, Santiago said, the Senate debates on the controversial bill would likely start in August.

“The Senate has only two weeks of session left, and even if we deliver the sponsorship speeches, we still have to adjourn sine die by June 9. In all probability, the debates will begin when session resumes after the state-of-the-nation address by President Aquino at the end of July,” she said.