Villar rejects passage of reproductive health bill

LIPA CITY, Batangas—Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. does not believe that the government's reproductive health program should be forced on the people. "Against ako sa RH bill. Hindi ako naniniwala na dapat isabatas ang reproductive health program (I'm against the RH bill. I don't believe that the reproductive health program should be made into law)," he told reporters in a press conference in this city after his market visits. He added: "Sa tingin ko bahala na lamang ang indibidwal na magdesisyon sa bagay na yan. (I think it should be up to the individual to decide such things)." Villar is an active member of Couples for Christ–Foundation for Family and Life (CFC–FFL), which are lay organizations that staunchly support the Church stand on the RH bill. He has been a member of CFC since 1999. On the issue of distribution of condoms, the senator said it is up to one's conscience on whether he or she will avail of contraceptives or not. "Wala namang batas pa sa ganun. Yung individual citizens pa rin ang inaasahan na gagawa ng desisyon, on their own para sa ganun ay bahala na sila sa konsensiya nila," he said. (There is no law for that. It's still the individual citizens who are expected to make the decision, on their own so that they can deal with their own conscience.) Aside from Villar, those who rejected the passage of the RH bill were Liberal Party's standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III and Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro Jr.—Amita O. Legaspi/JV, GMANews.TV