Imee, Revilla clarify Adolescent Pregnancy Bill authorship

Senators Imee Marcos and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. clarified on Tuesday that the bills they filed, which were incorporated into Senate Bill (SB) 1979 or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, differ significantly from the current version of the measure.

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality considered Marcos' SB 651 and Revilla's SB 1209 when drafting SB 1979.

In a statement, Marcos emphasized that SB 1979 is "significantly different" from her proposed bill but clarified that it does not aim to "deprive parents of their primordial authority and guidance."

"Instead, the DepEd, DSWD, DOH, and the entire community are enjoined to assist parents with 'medically accurate, culturally sensitive, nondiscriminatory' information," Marcos said.

She further highlighted the urgency of providing truthful, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive sex education in schools amid rising rates of teenage pregnancy, HIV, and STDs, coupled with the spread of false information about sex.

Revilla, who was also listed as a principal author of SB 1979, stated that the current version includes provisions absent from his original bill.

"The version I filed aimed to create an institutional framework to protect children from bastardized concepts of sex, perversity, and vulgarity that contribute to adolescent pregnancy, while also ensuring state support for adolescent parents so their children grow up healthy," Revilla explained.

He vowed to oppose the measure if it includes provisions causing public concern, saying, "Kung totoong itutulak ‘yung mga pinangambahan ng ilan sa ating mga kababayan, ako mismo, I will vote against it at haharangin ko na maipasa."

(If what some of our fellow citizens are concerned about is truly advocated in the bill, I will vote against it and block its passage.)

Provisions

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill mandates the integration of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program into the school curriculum, guided by the Department of Education (DepEd) and aligned with international standards.

According to Section 6, the goal is to normalize discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health, removing stigma at all levels.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros, sponsor of SB 1979, clarified that the bill does not include provisions about teaching or encouraging masturbation for children aged 0–4 or introducing concepts like "bodily pleasure" or "sexual rights" to children aged 6–9.

She refuted claims of unconstitutionality, stating that the bill is aligned with the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

International standards

Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and other critics have argued that SB 1979 aligns CSE with international standards, potentially adopting curricula set by UNESCO and the World Health Organization.

Hontiveros dismissed this concern, saying, "Hindi ibig sabihin ay kokopyahin lang lahat naang naka-publish sa UNESCO o WHO. Siyempre kung may mga nakasaad diyan na hindi akma sa konteksto at kultura ng Pilipinas, siyempre hindi yan gagamitin. Common sense po iyan."

(It doesn't mean that everything published by UNESCO or WHO will simply be copied. If there are elements inappropriate to the Philippine context and culture, they won't be used. That's just common sense.)

She stressed that the implementation of CSE should remain under DepEd and relevant local agencies, with consultation from various stakeholders.

"DepEd pa rin, kasama ang ibang relevant agencies, at dapat may consultation with various stakeholders, ang mag-iimplement ng CSE. Hindi kung sino-sinong international body. Wala pong magdidikta sa ating gubyerno kundi tayong mga Pilipino," she added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News