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Date Posted: 23:23:01 10/22/12 Mon
Author: IMRD
Subject: Oct 20-23, 2012 news

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/293742/pro-rh-bill-lawmakers-open-to-compromises-as-long-as-bills-essence-remains

Watered-down RH bill OK, say some backers
By Leila B. Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
1:47 am | Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
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Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, cosponsor of the contentious bill, said it was time to put it to a vote after the senators had argued all the issues surrounding the bill. FILE PHOTO/SENATE POOL
A “watered-down” reproductive health (RH) bill would be acceptable to some of its supporters as long as it achieves its purpose of swaying opponents and ambivalent lawmakers into backing the controversial measure, according to a representative.
Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat on Monday said RH bill proponents had agreed on the amendments in the hope that they would lead to the passage of the controversial measure.
“It’s fine by me, but only if it’s going to get a significant number of anti-RH lawmakers to support the bill. Otherwise, if the math stays the same, we just compromised for nothing,” he said.
Baguilat explained that despite the softening of the bill’s language, the core and intent of the measure remained.
“Admittedly, the language has been styled and some provisions diluted as a concession to its oppositors. But it’s still a population policy that mandates, among other things, state procurement and distribution of contraceptives to those who don’t have access to them,” he said.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, cosponsor of the contentious bill, said it was time to put it to a vote after the senators had argued all the issues surrounding the bill.
“It (has) become very transparent that other people just want to delay the bill for the sake of delay,” she said in a radio interview the other day.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said her group was amenable to the amendments that simply “elaborate and particularize existing provisions.”
The amendments also reinforce Gabriela’s position that the RH bill must ensure that poor women should have priority access to health services, and it must not be a population control measure, Ilagan said.
The latest version of the bill, which was intended to replace the original version, prioritizes the distribution of contraceptives to the poorest of the poor, who have no access or cannot afford these devices that would help them plan their family size.
It also prohibits contraceptives which prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum in the uterus, which are deemed abortifacients.
House leaders earlier said the new version of the bill was crafted in response to the opposition raised against the original measure, which sought to provide universal information and access to family planning methods. With a report from Cathy Yamsuan
Originally posted: 5:56 pm | Monday, October 22nd, 2012
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/10/20/gulf-between-anti-pro-rh-bill-wide-as-before/
Gulf between anti, pro RH bill wide as before
By Macon Ramos-Araneta | Posted on Oct. 20, 2012 at 12:01am | 476 views
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The gap between the supporters of the Reproductive Health bill and its detractors remained as wide as ever on Friday despite news that the House will come out with a new version that would please both camps.
Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Senator Pia Cayetano said they believed the new version should be good and acceptable to all who opposed the bill, but House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said he remained completely opposed to it and doubted it would address the problem of the country’s growing population.
And on Thursday, a priest said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which is violently against the bill, had yet to receive a copy of the substitute bill and so could not comment on it yet.
But House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told reporters the same day he hoped that the proposed amendments to the bill would allow the chamber to finally put it to a vote.
The RH bill aims to guarantee universal access to the methods of contraception, fertility control, sexual education and maternal health care but is highly divisive, with experts, academics and major political figures either supporting or opposing it.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the principal author of House Bill 4244, said the new version, among other things, would mandate the government to give priority to the poor households in its provision of reproductive health care, to guarantee public access to reproductive health care services, and to provide financing support to promote natural methods of family planning.
Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and the women advocates of the bill on Friday welcomed the substitute measure and said the amendments would be acceptable to its oppositors.
But House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said he remained completely opposed to the RH Health Bill and doubted it would be able to address the country’s growing population.
“I don’t support the RH Bill–even the revised version of the measure. I am completely opposed to it,” Suarez told the Manila Standard.
He was quick to say that his position did not reflect the position of the 27-man opposition in the House.
“It is still a conscience call for the minority,” said Suarez who, along with the other members of the opposition bloc, earlier withdrew their authorship of House Bill 4244.
He said the bill would face rough sailing in both House of Congress.
Senator Pia Cayetano, the principal author of the RH bill in the Senate, said she was still reviewing the amendments in the House.
“This is different from our bill, but it’s still good for me to know their version,” Cayetano, who left for abroad on Friday, tweeted.
Cabral said she was amenable to the amendments to the House version of the bill.
“I agree. That’s how priority should be given,” Cabral said in reaction to the provision mandating that the poor be given priority in the distribution of birth control methods.
She said the poor could not afford to buy even the cheapest contraceptives.
“The rich can have the number of children they want and the poor twice as many children as they want,” Cabral said.
“If a poor mother wants only three children, the tendency is for her to have six children due to her failure to purchase contraceptives.”
Joy Pacete of the Center for Population Empowerment said the changes to the bill were highly acceptable. CPE is a pro-RH group dealing with the urban poor and women in the depressed communities.
“These women have been saying that in case they have money, they will spend it to buy rice first,” Pacete said.
Jun Alocera, program manager of the Center for Advocacy and Policy of the Philippine Legislators Council for Population Development, said the intention to help poor families control the number of their children was fine with them. With Maricel V. Cruz

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/292914/rh-bill-backers-in-house-losing-passion-says-solon
RH bill backers in House losing passion, says solon
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
8:38 am | Sunday, October 21st, 2012
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Lawmakers attend a session at the House of Representatives Monday, opting to end debate on the controversial Reproductive Health Bill. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Some of the most rabid supporters of the reproductive health (RH) bill are said to be sheering off a compromise version being proposed in the House of Representatives.
Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones said he and about half of the nearly 100 original coauthors have lost their “passion” for pushing House Bill No. 4244, or the RH bill.
“I have to be honest. Many are no longer attending briefings. What’s the sense of legislating something when it no longer contains what you originally believe in?” he said.
He noted that many of the bill’s proponents no longer attended the “informal briefings” on the compromise version. There were at least three such meetings last week, he said.
Palmones said he was dismayed that the proposed substitute measure was focused on “responsible parenthood” and away from the original intent of the bill.
Already watered down
“It’s already watered down and most of (the provisions) are already being implemented. So if you look at it, (Sen. Vicente) Sotto is correct. Why pass a law when many (of its provisions) are already being implemented?” he said.
Sotto has been fighting the RH bill in the Senate, arguing, among other things, that many of the provisions were already contained in existing laws such as the Magna Carta of Women.
In the budget bill for 2013 that was approved in the House, the Department of Health got a P537-million allocation for the purchase and distribution of contraceptives.
A key amendment contained in the RH compromise bill in the House is the state guarantee of “public”—not “universal”—access to “relevant information and education on medically safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices.”
The provision also includes supplies “which do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration.”
It is seen as a guarantee that no known abortifacients would be included in the government’s purchase of contraceptives for public distribution.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=861733&publicationSubCategoryId=63

'Watered-down' RH bill can still face rough sailing in House
By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) Updated October 21, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0)




MANILA, Philippines - The new “watered-down” Reproductive Health (RH) bill could still face rough sailing in the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said yesterday.
“I think those who are against the original bill will not change their stand. They will be against the new version,” he said.
Suarez said he was opposed to the original version but would study the compromise measure the House leadership presented on Wednesday before Congress went on its three-week Halloween recess.
Another anti-RH congressman, Florencio Noel of the party-list group An Waray promised to go over the new draft during the break.
A third RH opponent, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, said nothing has changed in his opposition to the bill, including the compromise version.
Suarez said the minority group, which includes Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is not taking a collective stand on the new bill.
“As in the case of the original version, it’s still a conscience vote,” he said.
Pro-RH Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has described the compromise measure as a “definite step forward” as it “addresses a lot of objections to the original bill.”
He said one of the changes introduced in the new bill is a provision ensuring that the process of fertilization and conception would not be impeded or aborted.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=63&articleId=862420
New RH bill not a watered-down version - Lagman
By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) Updated October 23, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (10)




MANILA, Philippines - The compromise reproductive health (RH) bill that the House leadership presented last Wednesday “is not a watered-down version,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, a principal author of the measure, said yesterday.
“It’s not a watered-down version. The essence of the original bill is still there, we kept it intact. We have not surrendered it. The compromise bill was just made more acceptable to those opposed to the original,” he said.
With the concerns of the bill’s critics having been addressed, Lagman said the measure “now enjoys wider support” among House members.
“We hope to approve the new version before the Christmas break in December. Its approval would be the greatest Christmas gift we can give to our people,” he said.
He pointed out that the compromise measure “still promotes the use of contraceptives, except those that will prevent the implantation of the fertilized ovum.”
It would also promote “natural methods of family planning,” he added.
Some congressmen opposed to the original bill, including Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Rep. Florencio Noel of the party-list group An Waray, have promised to study the new version during the current three-week Halloween break of Congress.
However, one critic, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, remains convinced of the measure’s “unconstitutionality.”

http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/nation/item/5923-church-anti-rh-advocates-say-no-to-bill%E2%80%99s-new-version

Church, anti-RH advocates say no to bill’s new version
• Written by Pat C. Santos
• Monday, 22 October 2012 00:00
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The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life and pro-life advocates have expressed strong opposition to the new version of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill.
According to CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life chairman Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, the Church is totally against the whole RH bill.
He noted that it is immoral for the government to promote the use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives since these prevent the formation of life.
He added it is not right for the government to use its funds for the distribution of condoms and other contraceptives for free.
“We are against if the government will continuously promote contraception and (distribute) contraceptives for free. It’s there in the RH bill, that is the only intention of RH Bill. Any amendment they will make will be unacceptable to the Church. Contraceptives are harmful for women, they prevent life,” Reyes told a radio interview.
Anti-RH bill advocate lawyer Romulo Macalintal, for his part, noted that the new version of the RH bill is only a deodorant or just like a perfume.
He said the proposed amendments to the controversial measure is just a trick or a “watered-down” version because it was ignored at the House of Representatives.
Macalintal stressed it is not reasonable for the government to allocate billion of pesos for the reproductive health measure considering plight of many Filipinos.
According to him, the new version by the pro-RH bill is an admission that the proposed bill is a failure even as he said the government is not doing its job in giving right health services to the people.
“It is just an observation because RH bill is slowly melting in the House. We should continue our fight against RH bill no matter what version it is. Let us not be swayed by any explanation, its only intention is to convince the Catholic Chruch. It is just like admitting that what they did was wrong. Why are they coming out with a new version?” he asked.
Pro-life president Eric Manalang said the RH bill is considered as “dead bill” since many pro-RH bill congressmen fear thay won’t be able to get support for their reelection bid.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/15847-repro-health-bill-nears-crunch-time

Repro health bill nears crunch time
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Published on Monday, 22 October 2012 00:00
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THE reproductive health bill should be put to a vote for final reading before the year ends for it to have a shot at getting passed at the House of Representatives, the leading advocate of responsible parenthood in Congress said yesterday.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of House Bill 4244, said the bill’s chance at passage is getting slim because it will be more difficult to attain a quorum at the House as the election fever sets in.
“Pag nai-second reading na, i-print out na yong kopya ng panukala. After three days, pwede ng pagbotohan sa third reading. Kailangang mai-third reading agad kasi baka sa January wala ng pupunta,” he told radio dzBB.
The House is on a three-week Halloween break and will resume session on November 5.
Lagman reiterated his call for President Aquino to certify HB 4244 as urgent to expedite the deliberations on the bill in both houses of Congress.
“Matagal na naming hiniling sa Pangulo na i-certify yan. We can renew our call for certification. From the start naman ay sang-ayon ang Pangulo sa bill na ‘to na ang tawag niya ay ‘responsibile parenthood bill,’” he said.
Lagman belied reports the new substitute bill is a “watered down” version of the original, saying the proponents stood their ground against those who wanted to take out the bill’s heart – giving couples freedom of informed choice.
“Hindi totoong watered-down bill ito. Kami ay pumayag sa lahat ng amendments na ito. Pero we did not surrender the central proposition,” he said.
He said the substitute bill still promotes contraceptives that are “medically safe, affordable and ethical products and supplies.”
“Ang kundisyon sa reproductive health products ay kailangan hindi ito mag prevent ng implantation of fertilized ovum. Ang mga contraceptives and other methods ay nagpi-prevent ng pag-ovulate to produce eggs o para hindi ma-fertilize ang sperm. Yan ang principal mechanism whether natural or modern method,” he said.
The latest version of the bill has limited its scope to the poorest of the poor in a move to appease those opposing the measure, especially the Catholic Church.
This was the offshoot of a compromise reached after an all-party caucus between pro and anti-RH congressmen.
Lawmakers have agreed to amend the measure and focus the RH campaign on the poorest of the poor who are mostly beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
The “poorest of the poor” will be determined under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/5842-no-easy-sailing-for-new-rh-bill-version-as-critics-vow-to-scrutinize-measure

No easy sailing for new RH bill version as critics vow to scrutinize measure
• Written by Gerry Baldo
• Saturday, 20 October 2012 00:00
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Proponents of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill, believing that the amendments to the measure would appease its critics, cannot as yet heave a sigh of relief even as the oppositors to the measure said they are yet to sieve through the modifications to make sure that it does not violate the right to life.
Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, one of the staunchest critics of the bill, yesterday said they are not ready to agree on the amendments.
“We are not ready to raise the white flag just yet,” he stressed, adding the amendments would have to be thoroughly reviewed.
“I am still reviewing (the new amendments). That’s our homework. We have to think of ways to protect life,” Golez said.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the main proponent of the bill, said that in addition to the acceptable amendments which were previously announced by the co-authors of House Bill 4244, or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Bill, to address the objections, reservations and concerns of oppositors, there are new amendments that are also acceptable as a result of the latest round of consultations.
Among those amendments, Lagman said, is: “The State guarantees public access to and relevant information and education on medically safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies which do not prevent implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
It also says the “State shall prioritize the needs of poor women and women and men in marginalized households as identified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and other government measures of identifying marginalization, who shall be voluntary beneficiaries of reproductive health care, services and

supplies for free; the State shall also provide funding support to promote modern-natural methods of family planning.”
Lagman said that in the substitute version they “can agree that essential medicines for contraceptives should not be legislated but determined by the Food and Drug Administration.”
In a morninh TV interview, Lagman said some P3 billion would be needed for its implementation.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte had earlier said members of the House have agreed to ban contraceptives which prevent the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus.
He said HB 4244 was amended provided that the state should guarantee public access to relevant information and education on medically safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies which do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
He, however, conceded that there would still be some critics who will not be amenable to the new version of the RH Bill.
“Some oppositors would still think that something is wrong with the bill’s title or some other provisions,” the House leader said.
The RH bill, one of President Aquino’s priority legislative agenda, seeks to promote the use of both natural and artificial methods of family planning. It is being opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, which promotes only natural methods of family planning.
Since the chamber agreed to end debates on the measure last August, delaying tactics have been rife during sessions at the House of Representatives.
Privilege speeches delivered by anti-RH lawmakers effectively brought to a halt the period of amendments which have yet to be opened until now.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez has also expressed doubt whether there would be enough time to pass the controversial measure before the May 2013 elections, citing the upcoming Christmas break and the campaign period.
“It will be very difficult but I am not saying it is impossible… Maybe after the election,” he said.
The Catholic Church opposes the RH measure on the ground that the bill is against its doctrine that life starts in fertilization or the meeting of the sperm and egg cell and that the contraceptive pills that prevent implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus as abortifacient.
It also maintained that the bill promotes promiscuity, adding sex should come after marriage.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines stressed that “Every birth is a gift from God; every new life, a blessing, every birth a cause for rejoicing and praising God who create new life only out of love.”

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