Ping: Put RH bill to a vote

Manila, Philippines -  Sen. Panfilo Lacson has joined the calls for a vote to be taken on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill when Congress resumes session next week.

Senators Pia Cayetano and Miriam Defensor Santiago, the two main proponents of the RH bill, have been calling for an end to the debate on the controversial measure so that a vote could already be taken.

The Senate has agreed to end the period of interpellation on the bill so that amendments could be introduced when it is taken up again during the legislative session.

Lacson, one of the senators who filed an RH bill, agreed that the discussions have already taken too long and it is about time the Senate decides on whether or not to pass the measure.

However, he admitted that getting the bill approved would be difficult because both Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III are against it.

“So this will have an effect... it would not move forward and would not be approved,” Lacson said in a recent radio interview.

He expressed frustration over the interpellations by his colleagues over the past year, which he said were usually repetitive.

“I pity Senator Pia because she is the principal sponsor and major proponent so she has no choice (but to keep on answering the questions),” Lacson said.

With the two leaders of the Senate against the bill, Lacson said moving the measure forward is very difficult because they play a big role in setting the agenda for the sessions.

Lacson said he does not know the sentiments of his colleagues regarding the bill so he could not predict how they would vote on the measure.

But what is important to him is that the bill be put to a vote so that the people would know where the senators stand on the issue.

Enrile, for his part, said the bill would not likely be passed in the Senate based on his gut feeling.

“There are different positions on the RH bill. There will be those who will vote for it and some will not. It will all depend on who has the numbers,” Enrile said.

“But I don’t think it will be approved. That is how I feel with the members of the Senate,” he added.