7 swing votes to determine RH bill's fate in Senate — Sotto

The votes of seven senators who are still on the fence about the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill will decide the fate of the measure in the Senate, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday. In an interview with reporters, Sotto said the Senate was probably split evenly regarding Senate Bill No.2865 or The Reproductive Health Act of 2011 with seven senators still neutral. "Tingin ko sa kanila sino yung mga neutral? Mga 7. Siguro (sila magdedecide)," he said. Sotto did not identify the senators he was referring to, although some senators have already revealed their positions prior to the start of floor debates last Monday. Sotto himself indicated his dissent in the committee report on SB 2865 while Senator Aquilino Pimentel III is a member of the Couples for Christ which is strongly opposed to the RH bill. Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pia Cayetano and Panfilo Lacson are authors of bills that were merged into the Senate’s RH bill. Senators Teofisto Guingona III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Joker Arroyo, and Francis Pangilinan said they will “interpellate" when the bill is brought to their chamber’s floor for open debate. Guingona, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senators Gregorio Honasan and Francis Escudero said they will introduce amendments. Honasan, Trillanes, Senators Lito Lapid, Franklin Drilon and Ramon “Bong" Revilla said they have "reservations" about SB 2865. Lobby groups Meanwhile, Sotto confirmed that there have been groups lobbying for the passage of the RH bill. "Matagal na," he said, though noting that no one has yet approached him about the matter. "Kung may mga kumakausap man sa akin ang tinatanong ano ang aamyendahan sa bill," he said. Sotto was the first senator to interpellate SB 2865's sponsors Cayetano and Santiago. He said that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Sergio Osmena, Ralph Recto, and Honasan are expected to follow him. "At the moment 5 palang yung nakalista pero baka meron pang humabol depende sa napapag-usapan," he said. — RSJ, GMA News