RH bill hurdles Senate debates, moves on to amendments

After almost a year, the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill finally passed the period of interpellation and proceed to the period of amendments in the Senate.

 

“I’m happy and relieved that after almost a year of defending the RH Bill, we have finally terminated the period of interpellation. I’m now looking forward to starting the period of amendments,” said Senator Pia Cayetano, co-sponsor of Senate Bill No.2865 or The Reproductive Health Act.

 

Cayetano, who is also chair of the Senate committees on health and demography and youth, women, and family relations, delivered her sponsorship speech on the RH Bill nearly one year ago on June 7, 2011. 

 

Nine senators have since interpellated on the bill. Among them are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Ralph Recto, Panfilo Lacson, Serge Osmeña III, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV and Aquilino Pimentel III. Other senators, however, had also sometimes joined the discussion.

 

“There have been a lot of points raised by my colleagues that we will be able to use to improve the bill, and I would like to thank them for sharing their inputs and concerns with me,” Cayetano in a statement released Wednesday. 

 

“I certainly hope that in that whole year that we’ve spent debating on the bill, my co-sponsor (Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago) and I have also been able to enlighten some of them on their questions and concerns," she added. At the House of Representatives, the RH bill is at the period of interpellations stage.  During Tuesday's session, the Senate terminated the period of interpellation after Enrile, a critic of the bill, withdrew his intent to resume his interpellation after all other interpellators were done with their turn.

 

“I’d like to reassure everyone that we’ll continue to work hard on this measure with the end in view of passing an RH Bill at the soonest possible time while also taking into onsideration the valid points raised by some of our colleagues," said Cayetano.

 

Approved by August?

 

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Santiago said she predics the RH bill to be passed in August.

 

"Sen. Cayetano and I are filled with very high hopes that we can have it passed let’s say by August or at any rate before the end of the year," she said.

 

"That is our best hope. And we’ll be very, very relieved if that can happen because it has been pending for decades in the Congress," she added.

 

Santiago likewise said she does not see any serious challenge to the bill.

 

"I think that the general benefits will outweigh the doubts if they are still lingering in the minds of, let’s say, people who have been influenced by the theology expressed by certain members of the religious," she said.

 

She specifically said that some of the senators who used to oppose the RH may have "softened" their stand.

 

"I think that after all the violent argumentation during the impeachment trial, the senators are feeling much more conciliatory with each other and hope to move from their original positions to a closer, more harmonious relationship with us in the committee," she said. — RSJ, GMA News