Philippine President
Benigno Aquino yesterday successfully threw his weight behind a health bill
promoting state-funded contraception, stepping out of his mother’s shadow as
he pushes reforms widely opposed by the Roman Catholic Church.
Aquino’s late mother, Corazon, a pillar of democracy in the Philippines, was put in power in 1986 in a popular revolt strongly
supported by the Church.
The Philippines, with a rapidly growing population of around 95mn, is
the only predominantly Catholic country in the region apart from East Timor.
Benigno Aquino addressed a multi-party group of at least 180 lawmakers at the
presidential palace, saying debates that have delayed the reform over the
last 17 months needed to end.
Lawmakers agreed and said they would move on to discussing content.
“This is not a morality issue, this is a social issue that is closer to the
hearts of most ordinary Filipinos,” Earl Parreno of the Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms, said.
“I don’t see any risk for the president. I think this will even push his
popularity higher.”
Discussions will centre on four issues - state funding for contraceptives,
mandatory sex education in schools, abortion, and the distribution of
contraceptives that could induce abortions.
The bill, as it stands, requires governments down to the village level to
provide free or low-cost reproductive health services. The law will not promote
abortion, which is illegal.
In his state of the nation address last month, Aquino stressed his government
could not end decades of shortages in accommodation and books in schools
without responsible parenthood.
That statement was Aquino’s strongest message yet on controlling population
growth estimated at around 2% annually, part of his poll campaign programme
in 2010.
Aquino’s allies in the lower house of Congress assured him of the passage of
the bill within the month. Analysts say Aquino also has enough allies in the
upper house to push the bill through.
Opponents of the bill, led by the bishops, warned they would campaign against
the re-election in 2013 of lawmakers who supported it.
On Saturday, at least 7,000 people braved moonsoon rains to attend a rally
organised by the bishops, but the crowds were much smaller than church
leaders’ earlier estimate of 50,000.
Philippine legislators voted to terminate heated debates on a
controversial birth control law after President Benigno Aquino urged its
speedy passage.
A “voice vote” at the 285-member House of Representatives ended further
debates on the bill which has polarised the largely Catholic nation of almost
100mn.
Congressman Edcel Lagman, the main proponent of the bill, said the loud, vocal
support for accelerating its passage was a “positive indication” that it
would be passed by the House this month.
“We are at the threshold of victory but we are not yet at our victory because
we will have to wait for final voting,” he said.
Earlier Aquino met with leaders of the House and expressed his desire to see
the law passed, his spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
“The president echoed the view that the responsible parenthood measure had
been discussed thoroughly over the past several years and expressed his
desire that Congress move on to the next step in the legislative process,” he
said.
In the past opponents of the bill used lengthy debates and long-winded
speeches to delay its passage until Congress adjourned, effectively
preventing it from being passed.
The church, whose opinion on key issues helps to shape public opinion, led
thousands in a rally on Saturday to call on congressmen to junk the bill.
Lagman said that the next legislative process would be to open the bill for
amendment ahead of its passage.
The Senate, or the upper chamber of congress, needs to separately pass the
bill before it can effectively become law, and some of its leaders have
openly said they would reject it.
Yesterday, over 100 activists favouring the bill held a peaceful rally
outside congress to press for its passage.
Women’s groups as well as the UN have been pushing for the law to be passed,
saying it would help to bring down the maternal mortality rate in the Philippines, which is one of the highest in the region. Reuters
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