'RH law proteksyon para sa kababaihan'

MANILA, Philippines – Inihayag ng grupong Human Rights Watch (HRW) ngayong Lunes na ang pagpasa sa kontrobersyal na Reproductive Health Bill ay isang malaking hakbang upang maitaguyod ang kalusugan at buhay ng mga kababaihan.

“The Reproductive Health Bill will have profound implications for improving the health and lives of women throughout the country,” sabi ni Carlos Conde ng Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.
 
“(The Aquino administration) should be credited for having the political will to muster support for the bill in Congress despite the threat of a political backlash,” dagdag niya.
 
Naglabas ang grupo ng pahayag kaugnay ng napipintong botohan ng mga mambabatas sa reproductive health (RH) bill.

Ipinamamadali na ni Pangulong Aquino sa Kongreso ang pagpapasa sa RH bill na may 14 na taon nang nakasalang.

Ayon kay Conde, kailangan ay maging mabilis ang implementasyon ng mga programa sa population at reproductive health oras na maging batas ang panukala.

Inaasahan na muling boboto ang mga mambabatas sa Kongreso sa ikatlong pagbasa ngayong Lunes, habang pangalawa at pangatlong pagbasa ang gagawin din ngayon sa Senado.

Noong Disyembre 13, ginawang "urgent" ni Pangulong Aquino ang panukala.
 
"The Population Fund estimates that there are 11 deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes every day in the Philippines and that 'most of them could have been avoided in a well-functioning health care delivery system.' It said 'maternal health conditions are the leading causes of burden of disease' among Filipino women," sabi ng grupo.

Sinabi pa ni Conde na maraming kababaihang Pilipino ang nagdurusa at namamatay dahil sa kakulangan sa reproductive health policy.

"Contraception use in the Philippines is low because of erratic implementation of reproductive and population programs over the decades. The United Nations Population Fund has said that only 21 percent of women in the Philippines use any modern method of contraception while nearly 70 percent use no contraception at all. A 2008 demographic and health survey found that 22 percent of married women in the Philippines have an unmet need for family planning," dagdag ng grupo. Jovan Cerda