Million-signature drive launched by RH group

MANILA, Philippines – Family planning advocates are  collecting one million signatures to urge the Supreme Court to ensure full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

Romeo Dongeto, Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. executive director, said they intend to gather the signatures by April 2017 and these will be submitted to the SC and President Duterte. 

“The Purple Ribbon for RH Movement had launched a signature campaign to issue a call for our SC justices to lift the TRO (temporary restraining order) on two brands of contraceptive implants which are actually important for women,” he said.

He spoke on the sidelines of the 6th Population, Health and Environment National Conference yesterday.

Dongeto said some P250 million worth of the implants will expire by 2018 if the SC will not lift the TRO issued in June 2015 against the Department of Health from using the contraceptives in its RH programs. 

“The RPRH law gave poor families hope that their dream of a better future can be achieved. These hopes can only be realized if government fully and efficiently implements a comprehensive family planning program as mandated by law,” he said.

They will also try to submit the signatures to Duterte as they believe he has the “political will and the power to convince the SC justices” to lift the TRO, Dongeto said.