MANILA, Philippines – The Reproductive Health bill (RH bill) still has a long way to go.
The bill scored major victory when both the Senate and the House of Representatives terminated debates. But the real battle is just about to begin. The period of amendments is the most crucial stage of the legislative process.
But RH bill principal author in the lower House, Albay Rep Edcel Lagman, is optimistic it will be passed in the current 15th Congress because of the support that President Benigno Aquino III is throwing behind the bill.
“I think the President is giving a calibrated support,” Lagman told Rappler executive editor Maria Ressa on #TalkThursday.
Aquino pulled a surprise a day before the scheduled August 7 House vote. He called his allies in the lower House to a caucus in Malacañang to personally appeal to them to vote in favor of terminating the debate. After the caucus, his allies in the House voted to end the debates the very same day, August 6.
President Aquino declared the RH bill a priority measure in August 2011. But before the Malacañang caucus, Aquino did not really push for it as hard as other priority measures. In his 2012 State of the Nation Address, Aquino mentioned the need for “responsible parenthood” but fell short of issuing a clear call on the lawmakers to pass the RH bill.
Lagman said the President is taking it “step by step.”
“The first step was to endorse the bill as priority measure. Number two is to terminate the long winding repetitive debates. Now, the next would be the period of amendments – both the committee amendments and the individual amendments – before we go to 2nd and 3rd voting,” Lagman said.
Biggest challenge: Quorum
Aside from Aquino’s support, Lagman said there are two other reasons behind his optimism that the RH bill will be passed in the current 15th Congress. One, there is strong public support for the passage of the bill. And two, the House leadership is in favor of putting it to a vote.
On his last term, Lagman said he wants the passage of the RH bill as his “graduation medallion.”
“Hopefully, [we can pass it] in the month of August before the budget bill goes to plenary in the first week of September,” he said.
What remains to be the biggest challenge for the RH bill? Lagman said it’s assuring the attendance of lawmakers in plenary sessions.
“The greatest hurdle is mustering a quorum in the House. If we have a quorum and we go to a vote, definitely this bill will get the assent of the members of the House,” he said.
“I think it’s a challenge to the leadership of the House to have this quorum. If we don’t have a quorum, that will be taken advantage of by the critics of the bill. It will derail the process,” he said.
Critics of RH bill in the House of Representatives – also a sizeable number – have threatened quorum in the past. They would leave the plenary when the RH bill is taken up. Without a quorum, House leadership is forced to adjourn sessions.
Anti-RH vows to fight
Critics of the RH bill agreed to vote in favor of terminating the debates because, after all, there is still the period of amendments.
Cebu Rep Pablo Garcia, for example, vowed they will inject amendments that will “kill the bill.” He is one of the staunchest critics of RH bill.
“They (RH bill advocates) have won the battle but they will lose the war,” Garcia told Rappler.
Before the President Aquino’s appeal to lawmakers, the Catholic Church claimed it had 140 votes to junk the bill. Claiming that they have the vote, supporters of the bill questioned the survey.
Lagman vowed they will not allow “killer amendments.”
“Killer amendments like any killer should be hunted down. We are willing to accept truly perfecting and refining amendments which will not destroy the essence of the bill,” he said.
Lagman said the authors of RH bill have been discussing which amendments they are going to allow.
Lagman said the critics of the RH bill in the House represent the “traditional opposition coming from the Catholic hierarchy.”
“As far as the Catholic hierarchy is concerned, I think we will not waste time convincing them,” Lagman said.
A Catholic himself, Lagman said he agrees with the position of Ateneo professors that Catholics can support RH bill in good conscience. – Rappler.com
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