Malacanang-CBCP Responsible Parenthood Bill Should not Delay RH Legislation -Gabriela Solon

“Malacanang’s drafting of a Responsible Parenthood Bill as espoused by leaders of the Catholic church should not in any way cause the delay of the legislation of the Reproductive Health Bill. Congress has already conducted several hearings, consultations and a technical working group is already working on the consolidation of the bills that have been filed and deliberated upon. The legislative mill must continue uninterrupted.”

This was the statement issued today by GABRIELA Women’s Partylist Representative Luz Ilagan as Malacanang is poised to draft the Responsible Parenthood bill, which supposedly takes into consideration the Catholic Church’s misgivings on the RH Bills filed in Congress.

Ilagan however was quick to assure that concerns regarding the dissemination of information regarding all forms and methods of contraception and fertility management, be it natural or artificial have been included in the proposed RH Bills. “We want to give women and their partners the power to make informed choices and to make these choices readily available and accessible, especially to poor mothers.”

The Gabriela solon further stressed that HB 3387 or the Comprehensive Reproductive Health Bill filed by Gabriela Women’s Party is not about contraception or population control, nor does it mention population growth as a culprit for the country’s poverty, which puts it at par with what the Catholic Church is actually espousing.

“The Comprehensive Reproductive Health bill is all about making reproductive and maternal health care services available to women, especially to poor mothers who barely have the financial capability for pre-natal check ups and who cannot afford to give birth in medical facilities. We want to make reproduction safe for women and the newborn.” #