Marcos: I'll read the substitute bill first

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Thursday he would read first the substitute bill that will be filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros as regards the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill.

''I need to read the substitute bill first,'' Marcos said when asked if he would change his view regarding the controversial measure.

Hontiveros has said she will file a substitute measure for Senate Bill (SB) 1979 or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill after her colleagues' withdrawal of support for the proposed law.

At least seven senators have written to Senate President Francis Escudero informing the latter of their withdrawal of signatures on SB 1979.

Committee Report 41, which contained SB 1979, had garnered 18 signatures when it was reported out by the joint committees on women, children, family relations, and gender equality; social justice, welfare and rural development; health and demography; and finance last March 2023.

During Wednesday's plenary, Hontiveros has removed the provision on Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) "guided by international standards" after a backlash from critics, including Marcos.

The lawmaker said the filing of a substitute bill will also limit mandatory CSE to adolescents aged 10 years old and above, and include a provision guaranteeing academic and religious freedom.

To recall, Marcos vowed to veto the measure which he indicated would lead to children aged 0 to 4 years old getting taught how masturbate, and children having the right to try different sexualities.

''So, let me be very, very clear,  I still believe that sex education in terms of teaching kids the anatomy of the reproductive systems of male and female is extremely important,'' he said.

''The consequences of early pregnancy, the prevalence of HIV, kailangan ituro lahat ‘yan para alam nung mga kabataan. Pero ‘yung mga sinama nila na mga “woke” na absurdities are abhorrent to me. And I’m already guaranteeing, hindi pa napasa ito pero in that – if this bill is passed in that form, I guarantee all parents, teachers, and children: I will immediately veto it,'' he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News