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Date Posted: 23:35:28 11/06/12 Tue
Author: IMRD
Subject: Nov 7, 2012 news

http://opinion.inquirer.net/40272/one-last-push-for-rh-bill


One last push’ for RH bill
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:39 pm | Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
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“THIS substitute (RH) bill was not meant to convince the recalcitrant (in the House),” declared Rep. Edcel Lagman at a consultation with civil society and women’s groups yesterday. “(The amendments) were made to convince the open-minded and the fence-sitters, and we succeeded. So many of my colleagues have approached me and said their concerns and doubts were addressed.”
The deadline for the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill is fast approaching, what with congressional elections scheduled for next year, with many legislators even now skipping sessions to attend to their campaigns. The “period of amendments” is now past, and the bill’s sponsors have just released the amended version of the House legislation.
But many supporters of the bill, feeling so many gains were given away just to ensure the passage of the measure, have expressed apprehension about the shape and nature of the final version. Thus the “dialogue” between Lagman, Rep. Kimi Cojuangco of Pangasinan, and Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, and the NGO representatives.
In contrast to the worried supporters, the legislators seemed rather upbeat, with Representative Cojuangco expressing optimism that the House would be able “to pass the bill before the Christmas break.” She added: “If the House leadership wants this to pass, it will pass. All they need to do is to bring in the warm bodies.”
Former Akbayan representative (and senatorial candidate) Risa Hontiveros shared that she was able to talk with Deputy Speaker Rep. Janet Garin, who has been tasked with shepherding the bill through the House, and Garin assured that as long as the number of those raising objections or filibustering against the bill is kept to a manageable number, “we can pass the bill by the end of 2012.”
Baguilat, for his part, counseled against being agitated by the statements made by the “antis.” “They remain firm, and there is no changing their minds,” he reminded his audience. “What we need at this point is a campaign to support the substitute bill,” and, echoing Lagman, declared: “We can still reach the undecided.”
* * *
IT’S another story, though, at the Senate. A member of Sen. Pia Cayetano’s staff (the senator was in London addressing the British Parliament) walked the participants through the amended Senate version of the bill.
On the surface, the suggested amendments sound innocuous enough, although not a few observers said they were still bracing for what they called “killer amendments” especially from such staunch opponents of the measure as Sen. Tito Sotto and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
One problem with the Senate, observed a legislator, is that opposition to the RH bill is so much more marked in that chamber, “and the leadership of the Senate could just dribble (the bill) without making it move on.” Another problem is that a number of senators who don’t agree with the bill’s intent are running for reelection, and they would not want their personal stand on reproductive health, including women’s rights, to become an electoral issue. Which it would be, if the bill was put to a vote.
How then to force the issue in the Senate? Lagman says one way is to have the House pass the RH measure soon and in that way “pressure the Senate to act more speedily on the bill.” Another is to marshal the power of public opinion, especially through the mass media, on social networking sites, and through public forums.

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