Mindanao groups seek SC halt vs. RH law

MANILA, Philippines - Two groups based in Mindanao on Tuesday filed before the Supreme Court (SC) a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Reproductive Health (RH) law. 

Medical services company Serve Life CDO and educational institution Rosevale Foundation both based in Cagayan de Oro City and led by pediatric surgeon Nestor Lumicao filed the petition against the RH law, questioning the constitutional basis of its provisions on contraception.

"We [are] the first petitioners against RH from Mindanao and the first academic institution as co-petitioner," Lumicao's son Anthony said in a text message.

The younger Lumicao submitted the 25-page petition for a halt order on the new law, addressed to Cabinet secretaries.

In the petition, Serve Life called the passage of the measure a "failure" under the constitution for exposing people to "hazardous products," violating the basic right to life and having provisions violating the freedom of expression.

"The failure is not due to some subjective or religious, moral high ground liberally sprinkled with fear of hell. RA simply fails to pass the test of constitutionality," it says.

Couple James Imbong and Lovely-Ann, both lawyers, filed the first petition last Jan. 2 while the Alliance for the Family Foundation, a non-profit organization, sought a court-issued injunction on the measure last Jan. 9.

Task Force for Family and Life Visayas, Inc. also sought a TRO on the law on Monday to question the measure's multiple subjects as seen in its title Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act. 

"Every bill passed by the Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in the title thereof," the Cebu-based petitioners led by lawyer Valeriano Avila wrote, adding that no provision within the act dwells on "responsible parenthood."

Avila, a columnist for Philstar's sister publication The Freeman, also called the legislation a "hodge-podge" and deemed to be in violation of the single-subject rule.

The high court has yet to announce when it will start to tackle the petitions on the RH law, which was signed by President Benigno Aquino III into Republic Act 10354 late December last year and scheduled to be effective on Thursday.