THE House will pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill but by a slim margin, House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales 2nd said on Tuesday, a day after President Benigno Aquino 3rd had urged representatives to vote on the measure within the week.

This came as Malacañang said that pork barrel funds or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers would not be used to sway them into voting for the bill.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd said that he saw no need for Congress to pass the measure because the Department of Health (DOH) is already performing services that the controversial bill hopes to offer.

Gonzales predicted that the passage of the measure “by a whisker,” after the House voted 99-90, not to allow a staunch opponent of the measure, Rep. Dennis Socrates of Palawan province, to speak for another 10 minutes to question the authors’ inclusion of amendments in the substitute bill filed after the plenary debates.

“As far as I am concerned, those who voted to allow Congressman Socrates to speak indicated that they are anti-RH,” Gonzales said at the weekly Ugnayan sa Batasan news forum.

The RH or the Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood, Population and Development measure mandates the state to guarantee public access to relevant information and education on medically safe, legal, ethical, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies, including condoms.

The initial victory of the pro-RH bill in the House came a day after the President met with at least 170 representatives in Malacañang and appealed to them to vote on the measure on second reading within this week. The President said that if he were still a representative, he would vote for the RH bill, while adding that he would not impose on them.

Lack of quorum had prevented the House from acting expeditiously on the measure endorsed by Malacañang. Quorum, or the presence of at least 144 representatives, has been achieved since the Malacañang meeting, with the session punctuated by the initial victory of the pro-RH bill.

Malacañang said that the President did not dangle the release of pork barrel funds to induce representatives to vote for the measure.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte cited the President’s directive to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution and use of the pork barrel funds to lawmakers.

Moreover, Valte said that the use of pork barrel funds fall under the item on annual procurement plan and procurement list, which should have to be posted online. She said that all releases of the PDAF are posted online by the DBM.

Not needed
This came as Sotto, on Tuesday, said that Congress need not pass the bill, since the services it hopes to offer, are already being given by the Health department.

“They [DOH] have a budget for it [RH-related service]. They are doing it . . . but without the provisions that are controversial and questionable on the RH bill,” he said in a statement.

According to Sotto, the P51-billion budget of the DOH for next year includes P21.7 billion for RH-related services, a huge portion of which would be allotted to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the country for health improvement.

The MDGs are international development goals agreed upon by members of the United Nations to combat poverty, illiteracy, maternal deaths, child mortality rates, gender inequality, Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV along with other diseases and promote environmental sustainability and global development. Each country has adopted targets they should achieve by 2015.

Sotto noted that P13 billion from the P21.7-billion RH-related services would be used to finance the Basic Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care and the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care.

The Health department’s 2013 budget also provides P2.5 billion for Family Health and Responsible Parenthood, P2.9 billion for Human Resource Development, P269 million for women’s health and safe motherhood project, P500 million to purchase contraceptives and P31 million for natural family planning.

Sotto said that he is not against promoting family health, benefits and training of health workers, but he can’t accept foreign agencies that are lobbying for the RH bill “with an eye for the lucrative market on contraceptives.”

In a related development, 15 Metro Manila bishops and a priest on Tuesday issued a statement urging lawmakers not to unduly rush in deciding on the controversial bill.

Don’t rush
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life Chairman Bishop Gabriel Reyes said that the prelates of the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila believe that the RH bill is a crucial measure that needs ample time to be deliberated upon.

“It’s a very important bill. Let there be more discussions because it will have a very big important impact in the country in the long run,” said Reyes at the weekly Church-organized forum.

They also supported the appeal of the CBCP for nominal voting on the RH bill “to show transparency”.

The signatories were Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Reyes, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros, Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias, Parañaque Bishop Jesse Mercado, Pasig Bishop Mylo Vergara, San Pablo Bishop Leo Drona, Military Ordinariate Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo, Taytay Bishop Edgardo Juanich, Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Francisco de Leon, Manila auxiliary Bishops Broderick Pabillo and Bernardino Cortez, and Imus Diocese Administrator, Fr. George Morales.

Meanwhile, Reyes said that the President indirectly pressured lawmakers to vote for the, bill when he stated his personal opinion on the matter during their meeting in Malacañang on Monday.

While Aquino did not directly command his allies in Congress to vote for the bill, his personal stance can also influence their judgment.

“Everybody should vote according to their conscience. Pero sabi niya: ‘if you will ask me and I am a congressman, I will vote for the RH bill.’ So parang pressure na rin yun,” Reyes said.

With a report from Johanna M. Sampan