Groups troop to House as debates on RH bill begin

Various groups trooped to the House of Representatives on Tuesday as debates on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill are set to begin on the lower chamber’s floor. Nuns and members of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) packed a section of the session hall minutes before the plenary discussions began on Tuesday afternoon, while pro-RH bill groups launched a march towards the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City. The group Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) expects 6,000 of its members to converge at the south gate of the Batasan complex for a "solidarity program" to show support for the controversial measure. House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, meanwhile, vowed to enumerate the merits of the RH bill in his sponsorship speech. Lagman's sponsorship of the controversial bill coincides with the observation of the 100th International Women's Day. "The start of the sponsorship and eventual plenary debates on the RH bill in the House of Representatives is one small step for RH advocates but one giant step for Filipino women," Lagman said in a statement. He cited the protection of a couple’s freedom of choice, the lowering of the incidence of abortion in the country and the enhancement of the ability of the country to attain its millennium development goals as some of the reasons why he will push for the bill at the House plenary. Last month, the House Committee on Family Population and Relations also approved the contents of a consolidated version of the bill from several measures filed by Lagman, Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, Akbayan party-list Reps. Arlene Bag-ao and Walden Bello, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. and Gabriela party-list Reps. Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerenciana de Jesus. A majority of all House members is needed to pass the RH bill at the lower chamber and for it to be transmitted to the Senate. The Senate can either pass its own version of the bill or adopt the bill passed by the House. After this, the bicameral conference committee will be convened to reconcile the respective versions of the House and Senate. Once the bicameral committee agrees on a common version of the bill, the same will be returned to the House and Senate for ratification. The bill will then be submitted to Malacañang for the President's signature. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News