RH bill proponents likely for Noy

SOME supporters of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill may support the candidacy of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for his being consistent in supporting measures that address population and development concerns of the country, an official said yesterday.

Ramon San Pascual, executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), said Aquino can help in passing the RH bill, unlike his rivals.

Click here for Election 2010 updates

San Pascual, who was a guest speaker of yesterday’s Women’s Sectoral Electoral Forum, said other candidates, such as JC delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran and Manny
Villar of the Nacionalista Party, have said they will oppose the bill if they get elected.

Gilbert Teodoro Jr., of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, for his part has been lukewarm about his stand on the issue.

“Laging paiba-iba yung sinasabi niya (He is not consistent in his statements)” said San Pascual.

San Pascual said that contrary to beliefs of some priests and pro-life advocates that the RH bill will promote contraception and abortion, the bill is supposed to promote the overall welfare of women by introducing a comprehensive reproductive health care system.

130 legislators

Despite having about 130 legislators on their side, San Pascual said the RH bill wasn’t passed in the 14th Congress because someone allegedly called up President Arroyo to stop the hearings and debates on the measure.

San Pascual said Arroyo has weakened in her stand on the issue of population and development, saying during her State of the Nation Address she will not allow any measure that would promote population control.

He said that while the next president will play a crucial role in getting the bill passed into law, it takes a political will to get it approved.

San Pascual said that while he and his group cannot endorse a candidate, Aquino would be supported.

He compared Aquino with the newly-installed Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

Despite objections from the Catholic Church, Cabral pursued her programs to promote sexual health among couples through the use of condoms.

Teresa Fernandez, head of the Cebu City Women and Family Affairs Commission (CCWFAC), asked the Catholic clergy to remember that voting is a matter of conscience.

The Women’s Sectoral Electoral Forum, which was organized by PLCPD, CCWFAC, Kaabag sa Sugbu, the Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare (PNGOC) and Lihok Filipina Foundation, was held yesterday to create a guide for candidates on how to address women’s problems.