‘Give President Marcos benefit of doubt on sex ed bill’

MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on yesterday defended President Marcos’ opposition to “ridiculous” and “abhorrent” provisions in the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, particularly about masturbation. 

Bersamin was asked in a chance interview in Pasay City about the President’s comment on the supposed provision of the bill that encourages masturbation in children aged four and the right of children to different sexualities. 

“The President’s comment about masturbation, that’s his personal opinion. He’s a parent. That’s a personal comment from him,” Bersamin said. 

“Let me give you my personal take on this. My children are grown up but I’m also thinking of my grandchildren. I think it is not good to be legislating this,” the executive secretary noted.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, principal author of Senate Bill 1979, had earlier denied claims that the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) provision in the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act has inappropriate concepts and threatens Filipinos’ “moral, societal and spiritual values.”?Hontiveros has filed a substitute anti-teen pregnancy bill to amend the criticized provision.

Asked what was the basis of the President’s statement, Bersamin said: “You know this is very common. When you read something, you read the lines and there are between the lines also. Language is very broad. You have connotation, denotation and the other implications of language. Let us give the President the benefit of the doubt about that.” 

“If he probably read something that indicated to him that is going to include masturbation, he’s entitled to that opinion. Anyway, it’s not yet an official act from him,” Bersamin said, stressing that the President has yet to read the substitute bill.

According to a Palace official, the President has read the international standards for teaching CSE. 

No to fake news

Meanwhile, groups of supporters and advocates of the proposed CSE yesterday lambasted former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for feeding the public “wrong information” and “fake news” about the proposed CSE.

At a press conference, the coalition Defend CSE Pass SB 1979 composed of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc., Child Rights Network and the Partido Manggagawa said that Sereno and her group Project Dalisay should stop spreading fake news and fear-mongering about the CSE and the teen pregnancy prevention bill on social media.