Miriam rallies youth to use FB, Twitter to push for RH bill

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday appealed to the youth to take the campaign for the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health bill to cyberspace. Santiago, author of Senate Bill 2865 or the RH bill, urged the youth to use social media to exert pressure on lawmakers to pass the measure, which has been pending in Congress for almost a decade. “Campaign actively against these anti-RH creatures," Santiago told a student forum at the University of Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. “They do not deserve the word ‘human.’ Take our campaign to Facebook, Twitter, Google, blogs and other forms of social media." The forum was attended by students from 17 universities and colleges in Metro Manila, members of the academe, and other known personalities, including actress Heart Evangelista. To prove that she is adept with the use of social media, the senator read a message which she said she got from her Twitter and Facebook friends. “The message is: ‘Para fair ang labanan, magpadala tayo ng interpreter sa Miss Universe. Ipadala natin si Senator Miriam Santiago’," she quipped. During the forum, the senator even shared several “pick-up" lines and jokes she said she got from the Internet to liven up the audience. E-mail lawmakers Santiago said students should use technology to get in touch with their legislators. “Send an email to every single senator and congressman. Tell them that you are watching. Tell them ‘I am watching you’ and ‘I will not vote for you forever more if you are anti-RH’," she said. She even encouraged the youth to act as media watchdogs to make sure that proper information on the RH bill is being printed and aired. “If any of the news media purposely fail to present a balanced presentation of the RH debate, e-mail the editor and appeal to the ethics of the journalism profession," Santiago said. SB 2865 is currently undergoing plenary debates on the Senate floor pending second reading. Ignorant Santiago further said that social media can be used as a platform to fight the “ignorance" persons opposing the RH bill are supposedly trying to promote. “I have never seen a nation where a definite minority eases on keeping their Filipino constituency ignorant. We come to school for education, yet here is a small group of people who want to prevent their Filipino countrymen’s education," she said. Santiago said there is nothing wrong and immoral with her proposed legislation. “Wala naman tayong pinipilit dito… Bakit itong mga ito [anti-RH advocates], anong problema nila? I believe I don’t have a problem. They have a problem particularly mental in nature." The senator then challenged her colleagues to make a clear stand on the measure. “Whether for or against ka, tumindig ka… Hindi dapat inililihim. It should be a vote of conscience. It takes courage to let the people know where we stand," she said. Senator Pia Cayetano, for her part, said she is confident that the RH bill will be passed during the current Congress. “We are hopeful. If the Senate is half-enlightened as this group, we will have an RH bill soon," she told students at the same forum. — KBK, GMA News