Miriam on RH bill being 'redundant': So what?

Responding to criticisms from fellow lawmakers, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said it does not really matter that some provisions of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill are already present in existing laws. "Laws always do that. They always, in effect, repeat each other—at least in the marginal provisions," Santiago told reporters in an ambush interview. During Monday's Senate session, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III asked the chamber to scrap Senate Bill No.2865 or The Reproductive Health Act of 2011 since many of its provisions are already present in Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta for Women. Santiago, however, said that "there is nothing illegal or prohibited about repeating what one law has said." "There is no prohibition against redundant provisions in different bills. Plus, it could be possible that one bill is general in nature while the RH bill is specific in nature," she said. "If there were similar or identical provisions (it means) to say the lawmakers have very strong opinions about a certain provisions in the bill," she added.

The senator likewise dismissed Sotto's assertion that the RH bill was just a way for some sectors to make money. "That is our capitalist system.... either way you slice it, talagang may kikita," she said. But Santiago said that she and the bill's co-sponsor Sen. Pia Cayetano don't intend to "convert" senators who have already made up their mind about the issue. "So we developed a strategy that we would just allow any oppositor to air as much of his beliefs or suppositions for as long as it takes, and then we’ll simply say “We appreciate the opinion but I have already taken my position." So we are not going to dispute any opinion questions," she said. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News