Child rights group calls on Marcos, Senate to 'carefully review' SB 1979

Child Rights Network (CRN) on Friday called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr and the senators to 'carefully review' and put much thought into the substitute measure for Senate Bill 1979, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill. 

“Ang panawagan po namin sa Senado ay sana po bigyan ninyo ng pagkakataon (ang SB 1979). Meron na pong amendment, may substitute bill pa, basahin po sanang mabuti ang bill. There’s a legislative process at meron pa pong time until Congress adjourns before the campaign season starts. Ilaan po sana ang session days na ito para mapag-usapan at kung meron pang points to enhance ang bill, ay mai-enhance ito. We call on the senators to support the substitute bill and deliberate and eventually pass SB 1979,” said Au Quilala, deputy executive director of Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development, and convenor of Child Rights Network.

(Our plea to the Senate is to give (SB 1979) a chance. There is already an amendment, there is also a substitute bill, please read the bill carefully. There's a legislative process, and you still have time until Congress adjourns before the campaign season starts. Please set aside these session days to discuss; if there are points to enhance the bill, improved it. We call on the senators to support the substitute bill and deliberate and eventually pass SB 1979.)

At a press conference on Friday. the group raised their concerns after seven senators withdrew their signatures from SB 1979 — which became controversial.

On Thursday, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros urged her colleagues to give the bill a "fair chance" after she amended the version Marcos and some groups questioned.

She made the call after she filed a substitute bill that replaced the version of SB 1979 with amendments addressing the concerns on Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE). Upon filing, Hontiveros urged the senators who retracted their support for the measure to study the substitute bill, noting that their objections were "based on disinformation."

According to CRN, the substitute bill filed by Hontiveros is acceptable and may be a good way to slam misinformation regarding the bill.

The group also said that although they believe there is nothing wrong with being guided by international standards, its removal will also help reduce the disinformation and fears about the CSE and the bill.

After all, CSE aims to help and protect the children, and not scare them. With this, CRN also clarified that nothing in the bill takes away parental rights.

“Wala po sa bill na ito na nagtatanggal ng parental authority o sa karapatan ng mga magulang, bagkus tinutulungan pa nga ng bill na ito kung paano nila kakausapin ang kanilang mga anak. Kaya hindi po namin matanggap 'yung mga allegations na ipinapakalat ng mga opponents ng bill,” Quilala said.

(Nothing in this bill removes parental authority or the rights of parents, but this bill even helps them talk to their children. That's why we cannot accept the allegations the bill's opponents spread.)

“We maintain that sexuality education is best taught at home, and that parents should take primary responsibility for this. Gayunpaman, hindi natin maitatanggi ang reyalidad na madalas iwasan ng mga Pilipinong magulang ang mga usaping sekswal sa kanilang mga anak. Gayundin ang kanilang mga anak, they do not really seek that conversation with their parents.”

(However, we cannot deny the reality that Filipino parents often avoid discussing sexual issues with their children. The same goes with the children.)

Review bill

CRN also called on the President to carefully review the bill and explain which parts he disagree with so that they can determine what to enhance or adjust.

“We call on the President, na may hawak na ngayon ng kopya sana po 'yung hawak ninyong kopya ay 'yung bill na ipinasa ni Senator Risa (who is now holding a copy of the bill, we hope that what you have is the one submitted by Senator Risa). We call on the President to review the substitute bill carefully and put much thought into reading the substitute bill based on evidence and our shared hope to support children's dreams and fight for a future where no more children have children," Quilala noted.

On Thursday, Marcos said he would read the substitute bill first when asked if his stance would change following the development.

“Kami ay umaasa na hindi niya ibe-veto ang isang bill na naglalayong makapagtapos ng pag-aaral ang teen parents, matulungan sila at ang kanilang mga anak through health services, at mabigyan ng age-appropriate at culturally sensitive information ang mga bata at kabataan para mapigilan ang teen pregnancy,” Quilala added.

(We hope that he will not veto a bill that aims to enable teen parents to complete their studies, help them and their children through health services, and provide age-appropriate and culturally sensitive information to children and youth to prevent teen pregnancy.)

Project Dalisay

At the same press conference, CRN also said they are currently addressing the disinformation Project Dalisay allegedly caused related to the SB.

“Project Dalisay, you are very irresponsible, at nasa mga kamay ninyo kapag next year mas tumaas pa ang number of adolescense pregnancy sa ating bansa dahil hindi ito naaksyunan ng senado, dahil natakot sa ginawa ninyong pananakot sa senado at sa mga magulang,” said Quilala.

(Project Dalisay, you are very irresponsible, and it is in your hands when next year the number of adolescent pregnancies in our country increases even more because the senate did not act on it because they were afraid of the threats you made to the senate and the parents.)

CRN said that in forming the SB 1979, they worked with over 400 organizations nationwide and went through many studies and consultations, along with evidence and stories from victims.

The group said they cannot let their efforts and desire to protect the children go to waste just because of the disinformation spreading online.

"There is nothing protective about creating more walls and preventing children from having access to age-appropriate and culturally sensitive information that can help protect them from abuse, exploitation, and early pregnancies. Our Constitution guarantees the protection of children from harm," she said.

The National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution (NCFC) is the group behind "Project Dalisay," which seeks to safeguard the Filipino family's sanctity and children's innocence. Former Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno is among its convenors. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News