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BAGUIO CITY: Senator Pia Cayetano said Thursday that
she is not devoting much of her time in pushing for the approval of
the controversial reproductive health bill, saying it would be
vetoed by President Gloria Arroyo.
“Problem is, the
President will veto the reproductive health bill even if it is
approved by Congress,” said Cayetano, who was in Baguio to grace
the Women’s Month celebration at the Baguio Convention Center.
While Cayetano did not
specify the reason why the President will veto the bill, it is known
that the mounting pressure from the Catholic Church has been a major
setback for the bill being passed into law.
Despite the setback, House
Bill 812 or known as the Reproductive Health Care Act is now pending
in Congress.
Instead of pushing for a
nationally legislated reproductive health law, Cayetano said that
local government units must craft their localized versions, saying
that some health care programs and projects have been devolved to
local agencies.
But officials of provinces that
have passed a reproductive health code like Ifugao Gov. Teodoro
“Teddy” Baguilat Jr. and some town mayors share the same view
that reproductive health is a development issue and not political,
which is the reason they supported the said bill.
Baguilat, in a recent interview,
said the approval of the Ifugao reproductive health code would
lessen cases of violence against women and children, which is one of
the current major social problems.
The passage of a provincial
reproductive health code was unexpected considering that Ifugao is
one of the most evangelized province or an area dominated by
Catholics.
Reports have it that the reaction
of the Catholic Church to the two pro-reproductive health bills was
negative, which led Malacanang to devolved population concerns to
the local government units.
The Philippine Non-Government
Council executive director Eden Divinagracia said the country is
facing an uphill battle against poverty, population growth and
health crisis due to the absence of a national RH and population
act.
--Harley F. Palangchao
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