'Give him the benefit of the doubt': Palace on Marcos’ stance on anti-teen pregnancy bill
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Friday, January 24, defended the stance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the anti-teen pregnancy bill, asking the public to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Marcos has commented on Senate Bill (SB) 1979, or the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, twice. On January 17, his first comment was seemingly positive, appearing to support sex education for students.
However, in his second comment, just days later, Marcos appeared to have backtracked on his previous response after supposedly reading SB 1979.
While he said he supported sex education, he stated he would veto SB 1979, saying that he was appalled by the law in its current form, as it might teach concepts like masturbation to young children.
“This is ridiculous. It is abhorrent. It is a travesty of what sexual and sex education should be to the children," Marcos said on January 20.
However, the author of the bill, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, clarified that there were no provisions regarding masturbation at all. A reading of the bill would also confirm that the word "masturbation" is not mentioned anywhere.
Asked how the president arrived at his opinion, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that Marcos likely read something between the lines.
“Let's give the president the benefit of the doubt about that. If he probably read something that indicated to him that that is going to include masturbation, well he is entitled to that opinion. Anyway, it's not just an official act from him,” Bersamin said in a media interview on Friday, January 24.
The executive secretary said that people were entitled to their own interpretation.
Following Hontiveros' filing of a substitute bill making amendments to the measure, Bersamin said that the president would read it again.
But what will the government do to address the rising cases of teenage pregnancy? Initially, Bersamin said it was best to ask a social scientist.
“The government will do its part. Whatever it takes to lessen the increasing rates of teenage pregnancies,” the executive secretary said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Bersamin also pointed out that the government is addressing infant stunting, lack of nutrition and other issues.
Conservative groups have rallied against the bill at the last minute, just as it was about to hit the plenary floor. The bill was initially filed in 2023 in an effort to curb teen pregnancy rates.
The Philippines has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the region. The Commission on Population and Development has previously dubbed the Philippines as the “gold medalist” of teenage pregnancies in the ASEAN.
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