Palace exec: RH bill won't be discussed at length in PNoy SONA

The Reproductive Health (RH) bill will not be discussed at length in President Benigno Aquino III's State of the Nation Address (SONA), Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang said hours before the SONA on Monday. "Dito po sa talumpating ito ay wala tayong masyadong pag-uusapan tungkol doon sa reproductive health," Carandang said in an interview on GMA News TV's "News To Go." However, he added that the RH bill is one of the things the Palace is working on this year. "Hintayin na lang natin 'yung talumpati, 'wag tayong umasa na magiging malaking bahagi ang reproductive health sa kanyang talumpati," he said. Last week, several lawmakers and RH bill advocates urged Aquino to include the RH bill in his SONA, asking him to send a "strong message" in favor of the controversial bill. "I hope Aquino will issue a strong message to our lawmakers regarding the bill during his SONA. We are expecting the President to mention this," former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros earlier said.

Meanwhile, staunch RH advocate Beth Angsioco wanted Carandang to clarify what the latter meant when he said "hindi masyadong pag-uusapan ang RH bill." "Hindi masyado? Meaning?," said Angsioco on her Twitter account. "Unless PNoy makes last-minute insertions (in his SONA speech), walang FOI and RH. We should demand MORE!" "PNoy admin should know that many of us who don't often sing praises WANT this admin to deliver on its promises. You have a contract with us," she added. FOI bill In the same television interview, Carandang said the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is not included in Aquino's speech because consultations with stakeholders regarding the FOI draft are still ongoing. Earlier, Budget Secretary Butch Abad told reporters that the passage of the FOI bill might not be pushed in the SONA pending the executive branch's final version of the measure. "Paliwanag ko lang (ang sinabi ni Butch Abad). Nasa ilalim po ng opisina ko ang pag-review at pag-draft ng FOI. Patuloy kaming nakikipagkonsulta sa mga stakeholders, pero sa ngayon hindi pa naipapakita ang final version kay Pangulong Aquino, kaya hindi pa niya naaaprubahan ito at hindi maisasama sa SONA ang FOI bill," Carandang said. Carandang did not give any more details about the president's SONA, saying that he did not want to preempt the speech. He also said that he's assuring the media that there will be no "leakage" of the SONA speech this year. Last year, Carandang received flak for the supposed leaked draft of the SONA speech to a television network that Carandang previously worked for. "Medyo naintriga ako doon. Alam naman siguro ng mga nakatrabaho ko sa media na hindi ko gagawin 'yun at 'di ko ginagawa 'yun," he said. "Itong final version, nabuo lang ito kahapon at ang meron lang nito ay iilan lang. Kahit ilang member ng Gabinete ay hindi natin nabigyan ng final draft," he said. "Halos nakakasiguro tayo, at ginawa na natin lahat ng magagawa natin, na hindi magkaka-leak itong SONA natin." — Candice Montenegro, Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News