It appears that the marching orders from President Aquino to fast-track the Reproductive Health (RH) bill by cutting short the legislative debates on it was not issued to his House allies alone but was also transmitted to the Senate through the proponents of the bill as Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile revealed yesterday that Sen. Pia Cayetano had approached him to seek the close of the interpellation phase and bring the bill to the period of amendments.
Enrile said Cayetano, however, reneged on their agreement involving floor deliberations on the controversial bill to allow the reintroductions of debate on it when needed.
Enrile, over the week, broke his silence and lashed at Cayetano, one of the two sponsors of the bill, who had earlier accused the Senate president and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III of sitting on the measure by using their positions to prevent its approval in the Senate.
Although Cayetano did not mention names, it was apparent that she was addressing Enrile and Sotto in telling them to detach themselves from their personal views and functions in the legislature in dealing with the measure.
On radio, Enrile revealed that shortly after they had reopened the sessions, Cayetano had approached him and persuaded him to end the period of interpellation on the bill.
“We had an agreement. I agreed to her proposition. She even assured to me that even if we have already closed the period of interpellation she can have it reopened should I wish to do so,” Enrile said.
It was for this reason, he said, that he decided to abandon his earlier plans of delivering his own turno en contra speech after Sotto.
“So that we would not be accused of deliberately delaying the bill,” Enrile said, adding that the Senate leadership actually shifted its focus concentrating more on certain provisions that he said should not be included in the final form of the bill.  
“The trouble here is that we had an agreement and now what is appearing on the newspapers attributed to them was not what was agreed on,” he lamented.
“There’s no such thing (delaying tactics). We’re not like that and we will not resort to that. That’s all propaganda,” he added.
Enrile said that after Sotto has completed all his speeches on the RH bill and there will be no interpellation from any of their colleagues, they have no choice but to enter into the period of amendments.
“And if we’re able to finish the period of amendments, it has no nowhere to go but voting on the floor,” he said.
In the same interview, Enrile mentioned that President Aquino has no special “request” in ensuring the approval of RH bill in the Senate, much more any marching orders to ensure that the measure will muster enough numbers for its approval even if the proposed legislation had been mentioned by the Chief Executive in his State of the Nation Address (Sona).
The Senate president admitted that Aquino sought him out, seeking his assistance to oversee the approval of the then bill postponing the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“I had not been approached (by Malacañang). To be fair to the President, I’ve been with him several times, during official functions, official duties, sometimes upon his invitation but he never opened up to me about the RH bill. Although he explained his position that he is in favor of the RH bill but he never asked me personally to vote in favor,” he explained.
It was a different scenario on the matter concerning the ARMM bill where the Executive asked for his assistance but only after he was convinced by the explanation given by Aquino as to the reason they had to defer the holding of the polls.
“I agreed not because I was prevailed upon or dictated upon by Malacañang but because I saw the whole point in passing the bill and I think they were right in their position (then). So I said I will help and try to convince the senators in passing the bill.
He sasid if he finds that the Palace is taking the right path, he will agree to the right proposals.
 “All of us in government work for the benefit of the people. The Constitution states that the three departments of government should be separate and independent but for the sake of the nation, the three should coordinate with each other,” he said.
But on the matter of the RH bill, Enrile said he has not even attempted to engage his colleagues in discussing the issue, much more lure them as to how they should vote on it.
“I have said to them that this is a conscience vote,” he emphasized.
Enrile, however, stressed that he will push the exclusion of condoms, birth pills and other artificial forms of contraceptives in the category of essential medicines.
“Is pregnancy a disease that needs to be cured or to prevent it? That’s one of the provisions I want amended. And if my amendment, if the sponsor will accept it, then that’s a welcome gesture. But if it’s turned down, then it will be voted upon,” he said.
Enrile said there can not be any timetable in the approval of the bill.
“That is not allowed, we always vote on every issue,” he said.
Lawmakers supporting the passage of the RH bill are now being blamed for the delay in the proceedings and not the anti-RH lawmakers, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said yesterday.
Golez said that if ever there are those to be blamed for the delay, it is the pro-RH lawmakers, he said.
“They (pro-RH solons) are delaying the process. Many of them are absent,” Golez said yesterday. Golez, one of the anti-RH lawmakers said that the pro-RH lawmakers are resorting to some “delaying tactics” to stall the passage of the bill which is currently on the period of amendments.
The Parañaque lawmaker noted there is not much enthusiasm for the passage of the bill even from pro-RH lawmaker given their meager presence in the session hall.
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin disagreed with Golez. She said that the anti-RH lawmakers have intensified their “delaying tactics” to stall the period of amendments. She said that the anti-RH lawmakers are trying to use the time of House to prevent the start of the period of amendments.
The anti-RH lawmakers are being backed up by the Catholic Church which is vehemently campaigning to oppose the bill among lawmakers.               Gerry Baldo