Support other pressing bills, Pacquiao Urged

MANILA, Philippines—A women’s party-list group yesterday urged Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao to support pending bills on genuine agrarian reform, national industrialization, and the P125 wage increase for workers as alternatives to the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill which the Sarangani representative is opposing.

Gabriela Women’s party-list Representative Emmie de Jesus said she was struck by Pacquaio’s arguments in opposing the RH bill during his interpellation of Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, the bill’s main sponsor, in the House last week. Pacquiao had said that the RH bill was “not a solution” to poverty.

“We welcome Representative Pacquiao’s concern for the poor who comprise the majority of Gabriela’s constituents. If we can agree to disagree on the RH bill, we still call on Representative Pacquiao to work with us on the promotion of (these other) bills,” De Jesus said.

Gabriela co-authored House Bill 374 or An Act Institutionalizing Genuine Agrarian Reform in the Country and Creating the Mechanism for its Implementation and for Other Purposes. It was filed by Anakwapis party-list Representative Rafael V. Mariano, who also filed a bill calling for a P125 wage increase. The bills are pending in committee.

“We therefore call on Representative Pacquiao to study well these particular bills as they definitely bring to Congress the voices and demands of our poor constituents,” De Jesus said.He knows what he’s doingRepresentative Pacquiao’s interest and support for them, could give impetus to their movement in the legislative mill,” she stressed.