Senate holds hearing on Miriam’s RH Bill
The Senate will hold an initial public hearing today on its own version of Reproductive Health (RH) bill filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Senator Pia Cayetano said yesterday.
Santiago authored Senate Bill 2378, or “An act providing for a national policy on reproductive health and population and development.”
Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, said her committee, together with committees on youth, women and family relations, and finance will jointly take up the bill.
Heading the list of pro-life resource speakers invited by the Senate are Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, chairman of the Commission on Family and Life of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); lawyer Jo Imbong, CBCP legal counsel; former Sen. Francisco Tatad; Feny Tatad of the Bishops-Legislators Caucus; and Eric Manalang, president of Pro-Life Philippines.
The pro-choice camp include Dr. Junice Melgar, secretary-general of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network; Roberto Ador, president of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines; Ramon San Pascual, executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development; and leaders of other non-government organizations.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Executive Secretary Emmeline Verzosa of the Philippine Commission on Women were among the government officials invited by the joint panel.
Also expected to attend are Dr. Regta Pichay, president of the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society; Tomas Osias, executive director of the Commission on Population; and Cayetano Paderanga, director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority.
Cayetano said the initial hearing on the RH bill in the Senate will help the government deal with the country’s high maternal mortality rate.
She cited data showing that 11 Filipino mothers die of childbirth every day due to poverty and lack of access to maternal health facilities and professional care.
”The Catholic Church has the right to propagate its teachings to its flock but the State also has its duty to provide public health services, including reproductive health. I urge mutual respect from the contending camps and I hope both will agree to common provisions that will help legislators come up with a measure that is both comprehensive and responsive to our current needs,” Cayetano said in a statement.*PNA
