Villarosa ipinasisibak bilang deputy speaker sa Kamara

MANILA – Ipinapasibak ni Akbayan Party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros sa liderato ng Kamara de Representantes si Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelita Villarosa bilang Deputy Speaker for Women dahil sa pagharang umano ng huli na maratipikahan ang panukalang batas na Magna Carta of Women. “The bill would have been enacted this Women’s Month had she not blocked its ratification before Congress went into recess," reklamo ni Hontiveros kay Speaker Prospero Nograles. Nanawagan din si Hontiveros sa mga lider ng kababaihan na dumalo sa forum na inorganisa ng UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) at papanagutin si Villarosa sa kabiguan na maaprubahan ang naturang panukala sa Kamara. Isa si Hontiveros sa nagsulong na magkaroon ng lider na babae sa Kamara upang mapalakas ang “gender balance" sa kapulungan. Dahil dito binuo ang posisyon ng Deputy Speaker for Women kung saan inihalal si Villarosa noong Agosto 2007. “She has betrayed the women legislators in Congress, both in the majority and the minority, who have worked so hard for several congresses now to have this measure passed. She has betrayed Filipino women who will definitely benefit from the passage of this bill," pahayag ni Hontiveros. Nagawa umano ni Villarosa na harangin ang pag-apruba sa Magna Carta of Women nang magpasok ito ng dalawang “killer amendments." “The first is to insert the ‘ethical’ qualifier in the reproductive health provision of the bill, thus imposing natural family planning only in the crafting of the government’s reproductive health program. The other is the deletion of the provision prohibiting the expulsion of unmarried pregnant students," paliwanag ng kinatawan ng Akbayan. Dahil dito, hinamon ni Hontiveros si Villarosa sa isang debate kaugnay sa mga ipinapasok nitong pag-amyenda sa panukala na matagal na umanong hinihintay ng mga kababaihan. “We challenge her, woman to woman, mother to mother, legislator to legislator, to debate on the issues that she used to block the ratification of the bill," hamon ni Honteveros. Iginiit niya na magiging inutil ang bahagi ng reproductive health section sa panukala kung pagbibigyan ang “ethical qualifier" ni Villarosa. “What it aims to do is to maintain the status quo, a climate of ignorance that resulted in deaths among women due to unwanted pregnancy, a climate of despair for families who view childbirth as additional burden and not as humanity’s gift," pagdiin ni Honteveros. “The proposal to delete the provision on proscribing the expulsion of pregnant students, on the other hand, is pro-abortion. This is exactly the kind of policies that push pregnant teenagers to undergo unsafe abortion," idinagdag niya. - GMANews.TV