Enrile: RH debates postponed to 2012

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday said the Senate debates on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill may have to be postponed to next year to give way to other priorities of the chamber. "Wala nang panahon, we will tackle that when we come back... by January we'll all have the time to discuss the RH bill," Enrile told reporters in an interview. He said the main focus of the Senate for the remainder of the year is passing the P1.816-trillion proposed budget for next year. The House of Representatives had already approved the budget on third and final reading on Tuesday. Congress will take a break from October 15 to November 13, and again from December 17 to January 15, 2012. The last Senate debate regarding Senate Bill No. 2865 or The Reproductive Health Act of 2011 was held last week. Among those who have interpellated sponsors Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Pia Cayetano were Enrile, Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III, and senators Ralph Recto and Lito Lapid. Enrile, however, said he still has many questions about the controversial measure, which seeks to grant free reproductive health services to women. "There are many questions that have to be clarified," Enrile said. “It's not because we want to delay the RH bill... but on the other hand even if I am chastised I'll have to be very careful." Enrile added: "It has a very long-term effect and you cannot quantify it, anticipate it. We have to be very careful about the impact of this bill in the lives in our country, both the economic life, the political life, the demographic life, sociological life, and the security interest of the country." - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News