Pia to convince colleagues to support RH bill

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Pia Cayetano, the main proponent of the proposed reproductive health (RH) bill in the Senate, is looking to convince her undecided colleagues to support the measure to have it approved by August this year.

As far as Cayetano is concerned, the minds of the most vocal critics of the bill in the Senate are already closed and no amount of reasoning would convince them to support the measure.

“For those who do not want to be convinced, even if they see a mother die (due to complications from childbirth) with their own eyes, they will not believe (the deaths),” Cayetano said.

“But I’m sure of that. I’ve seen it. But for those who are uncertain, I believe data and surveys can help them make a decision,” she added.

The period of interpellation for the RH bill was closed before Congress adjourned its legislative sessions last June 8 and the committee and individual amendments would be introduced when the bill is taken up again next month.

Cayetano admitted that getting the RH bill approved would be difficult just as it has been in the past, starting from the first time it was introduced more than a decade ago.

However, Cayetano is counting on the support of President Aquino to secure votes in favor of the bill’s approval in the Senate.

“We have now a President who supports it. Then obviously this bill will have to be brought to the floor, as opposed to three years ago when we had a president who was very vocal about her non-support of RH,” Cayetano said.

“At the end of the day it is the President who (we need to) support the measure. He has the unique ability to also exert effort to have these expedited to come to the final conclusion, which is basically voting on the measure,” she added.

Cayetano said the key is to convince the people “in the middle” who could go for or against the bill, depending on how well the respective positions is presented to them.

Cayetano said she will use the voice of reason to convince the undecided senators.

She said the bill is consistent with the Constitution that mandates the provision of healthcare for every Filipino.

She said the bill cannot be ignored simply because of the mindset of some people that it would be unconstitutional.

“As policy-makers we must provide these services regardless of our personal opinions,” she said.

Cayetano said she is open to the amendments from her colleagues, particularly on the wording of the bill, just to make the vague provisions very clear.

“I just want that the bill is not altered to the extent that it is toothless but otherwise, I am open to amendments that will fine-tune the bill and also remove any provisions that maybe are a little bit vague,” she said.

Citing the 2011 Family Health Survey released by the National Statistics Office showing an increase in the maternal mortality rate, Cayetano said the passage of the RH bill has become even more urgent.

“The latest findings of the NSO are very consistent with the findings of the international organizations: that women who are educated and belong to higher economic brackets really are the ones who plan their families better,” Cayetano said.

“These NSO studies simply confirm that it’s the poorest of the poor that have bigger families, a lot of times because they have no access and no capacity to obtain family planning services and supplies for themselves,” she added.