REP. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district) yesterday said the Reproductive Health Care (RH) Bill opposition is the actually the one gaining ground at the House of Representatives.

He said that “no way that the RH Bill will pass congress.”

He said that in a rare situation in the House, at least 22 legislators have signified their intention to speak against the measure when interpellation started last month.
Del Mar, deputy house speaker, spoke first against the bill, and said his “incisive interpellation with the bill’s sponsor Edcel Lagman.”

Legislators

He said it was “punctuated with heated exchanges resulting from their strong conflicting convictions and principles lasting for five session days,” which ended Wednesday
night.

And because of the numerous legislators who signified their intention to speak, he believes that discussion on the bill will not be concluded until session ends in June 2009.

He even said that with the elections in 2010, he believes legislators will have their sights trained on the next year the bill will not be prioritized next year.

The congressman said that the other 21 legislators should be given their turn to speak, but there are already 21 remaining sessions they surely could not all be accommodated since sessions are not dedicated solely for the bill.

“And with the election fever taking time away from legislative work after that (June 3, 2009 adjournment) and still members who have made reservations to introduce amendments as well as to speak against the bill during the period of turno en contra following thereafter, I doubt if there will be material time for the approval of the bill anymore,” del Mar said.

He said he is confident that even though the bill has 125 co-sponsors, the House will vote against it. (RHM)

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(November 22, 2008 issue)
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