House's RH bill passes critical vote

MANILA, Philippines - The Reproductive Health (RH) passed the critical voting on Monday afternoon as majority of the members of the House of Representatives voted to terminate the debates on the controversial measure.

Congressmen supporting House Bill 4244 or The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health And Population And Development Act Of 2011 overwhelmed those against the measure in a viva voce voting.

The congressmen voted to terminate the debates and opened the period of amendments.

After the amendments, the bill will be moved to second reading wher a nominal voting will happen. During nominal voting, each congressmen will be given three minutes each to explain their votes.

Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II had said that if the House of Representatives votes to terminate the debates, it means that the "measure enjoys the support of majority of us."

"We can then proceed to vote on the bill itself," he said.

He added that if the bill fails to pass the period of debates it should be shelved already since it means that it lacks support and it would be useless to consider it further.

The House of Representatives was supposed to hold the voting on Tuesday, but it decided to move it to an earlier schedule after at least 160 of its members met with President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang around noon today.

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 23, Aquino urged his allies in Congress to approve the proposed law on reproductive health and responsible parenthood.

Addressing his colleagues hours before the SONA, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the RH bill had already been discussed “from every possible perspective by advocates and opponents alike not only in this Congress but in past congresses.”

“I think it is time we finally put it to a vote. Let the chips fall where they may. The same goes for the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill,” he said. - Dennis Carcamo