Speaker Feliciano Belmonte yesterday expressed optimism that the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, vehemently opposed by the Catholic Church, will be passed on third and final reading by members of Congress.
Belmonte said the bill will go through the period of amendments until it is put to a vote before the House in plenary.
“We are hopeful that this measure would be approved here (House of Representatives) on final reading. We are not setting any absolute timetable because I don’t want a perception that we are putting pressure on lawmakers to pass it. But we will proceed with the process,” Belmonte said in a chance interview yesterday.
Advocates of the bill have been refiling the measures would be approved here (House of Representatives) on final reading. We are not setting any absolute timetable because I don’t want a perception that we are putting pressure on lawmakers to pass it. But we will proceed with the process,” Belmonte said in a chance interview yesterday.
Advocates of the bill have been refilling the measures for the past several Congresses but failed to bring the issue through the period of debates. It was only last Monday that it hurdled the period of debates via the viva voce voting.
The voting was made ahead of the scheduled voting on Tuesday after lawmakers were summoned by President Aquino in Malacañang for a meeting on Monday morning. The voting was done in the afternoon.
The Catholic Church has been opposing the bill.
In a statement yesterday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Congress should prioritize the needs of their constituents who were displaced by the continuous rains over the RH bill.
Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said senators and congressmen should prioritize rescuing victims of torrential rains and consequential floods in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces in Luzon.
“Attending to their constituents who are left displaced by floods should be prioritized by the Congress. This is far more urgent than railroading the passage of RH bill into law,” he said.
The sudden turn of events has disappointed Church leaders, pro-life groups and Catholic lay organizations pushing for the junking of the RH bill. The CBCP warned lawmakers that they will campaign against those who would support the passage of the bill.
Lagdameo said that members of the Senate and the Lower Houses should “be discerning.”
“I hope that they will discern on what will truly bring about the common good for our country,” he said.
He specifically called on the proponents of the RH bill in  the House and Senate to “reconsider their position” and “entertain second thoughts.”
But the prelate said both pro- and anti-RH factions in the Congress and Senate “should discuss amendments to the RH bill properly and with open minds.”
The controversial reproductive health (RH) bill is proving to be divisive to the country, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, one of the staunch critics of the measure, said yesterday.
Yet, Sotto, admitted they are willing to work with proponents of the bill on what he described as “middle ground” which he and others opposed to the measure, are amenable with, to have it approved by Congress.
“It’s a very controversial issue and it keeps me wondering why the leadership of the country would like something that divides the country. Why are we pushing something that divides the country? I have not found (any) anwer,” he said to reporters in an interview.
Nonetheless, the Senate leader said they are not hell-bent in blocking the approval of the bill as they are not opposed to it in its entirety and are willing to compromise provided some of those considered highly-contentious provisions are deleted.
“If they will still insist on it, then we will likely debate anew in the period of amendments and if, during the period of amendments, a number of my colleagues would be convinced (by my position), then there could still some shifting of position on the matter,” he said.
Sotto was supposed to  deliver his speech yesterday afternoon, but postponed it for Monday, his four-part speech detailing and explaining why some of the key provisions of the bill are found questionable by them.
Sotto, along with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile have been vocal in expressing their opposition on the bill, particularly questioning issues such as the inclusion of some forms of artificial contraceptives to the category of “essential medicines”, as well as the apparent tact of the measure to put in place population control and so-called backdoor channeling of abortion.
Sotto is out to prove to colleagues that the bill indeed carry such provisions especially on the matter concerning abortion.
Besides a compromise bill, Sotto said it’s still possible to put in place a RH program based on the Senate version of the bill in the national budget, without having to come up with a new legislation.
“A number of its (RH bill) provisions could already be found in the budget. I read it,” he said.
Sotto dismissed charges that he and Enrile are using their position to block the passage of the measure saying that all bills filed in the Senate have a chance of getting approved, depending on its final version.       By Gerry Baldo, Charlie V. Manalo and Angie M. Rosales