Anti-population bill solons block Lagman speech

Lack of quorum forces deferment

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 19:02:00 09/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawmakers at the House of Representatives opposed to the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill succeeded in blocking the delivery of the sponsorship speech by its author that would have formally opened floor debates.

With only 101 of the more than 200 congressmen present after the roll call, the House leadership adjourned the session for lack of a quorum.

The bill's troubles were further compounded when Congresswoman Amelita Villarosa withdrew her signature from House Bill 5043 or An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development, bringing down the number of co-authors to 95.

But Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, the bill's main author, was unfazed and expressed confidence that the bill would still hurdle the plenary debates.

Anti-reproductive health bill lawmakers have tried to stop Lagman's sponsorship speech early in the session.

Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia raised a point of order, saying that copies of the bill have yet to be distributed for the members of the House to study.

Quezon City Representative Mary Anne Susano echoed Garcia's view and said the measure was being pushed because of the millions in pesos appropriated for it in the budget.

But Majority Leader Raul del Mar said that there was an agreement among lawmakers that they would allow Lagman to deliver the sponsorship speech and that interpellation would begin next week to give time to the lawmakers to study the bill.

Susano then raised a point of order anew and said that there was no longer a quorum that prompted a suspension of the session.

Before a packed gallery composed of the supporters of the bill from mostly civic organizations on one side and pro-life advocates and religious groups in blue on the other side, Lagman was supposed to deliver his four-page sponsorship speech.

The bill promotes the use of both artificial and natural means of family planning, among others.

"The bill is principally about rights, health, and sustainable human development. The bill is fully transparent. There is no hidden agenda. There are no caveats," Lagman said in a copy of his speech.

"The use of contraceptives for family planning does not make acceptors bad Catholics. But having more children whom parents can ill-afford to feed, educate, medicate, guide and love makes hem irresponsible regardless of their religion," he added.

The Catholic Church, religious groups, and even President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have expressed opposition to the bill.

"While the bill may not be the panacea to all our ills, it is
definitely not the source of baseless paranoia," Lagman said.

On September 9, the committee on rules approved the plenary hearing of the controversial House Bill 5043 or the "Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008."

Arroyo, a devout Catholic, is backing the Church's position against artificial contraception as Congress tries to legislate a population management policy.

Lagman, the bill's author, hailed the endorsement of the bill for plenary consideration as a "victory for Reproductive Health advocates who have been waiting for the enactment of this bill for almost a decade and the 96 co-authors of the measure who are unwavering in their support for the bill's eventual enactment."

The bill was first jointly referred to the committee on health and committee on population and family relations which approved it in June.

In August the committee on appropriations approved the appropriation cover of the measure.

source:inquirer.net

Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008

Dear Everyone,

On Tuesday, September 9, the Committee on Rules decided to send to the plenary for floor debate, the controversial House Bill 5043 or the "Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008". There are 30 members in the Committee on Rules.

The representatives for life and family in the Rules Committee who argued against sending the bill to the Floor, according to a reliable source, were:

1. Congressman Raul del Mar of Cebu
2. Congressman Roilo Golez of Paranaque
3. Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro
4. Congressman Rene Velarde of Buhay Partylist
5. Congressman Amado Bagatsing of Manila
6. Congressman Roman Romulo of Pasig City
7. Congressman Adam Relson L. Jala of Bohol

Representatives for reproductive health who supported sending it to the Floor were the following:

1. Majority Leader Arthur Defensor of Iloilo
2. Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II of Mandaluyong
3. Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa of Occ. Mindoro
4. Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora of San Juan
6. Congressman Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna
7. Congresswoman Janette Garin of Iloilo
8. Congressman Sonny Angara of Aurora
9. Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan
10. Congresswoman Liza Largoza-Maza of Gabriela Partylist

Debates could begin from Monday next week. This means every Congressman on our side will have to work harder to persuade the other congressmen to withdraw support for the bill, and ultimately kill it on the floor. The most persuasive and telling interpellations during the debate would be one way of bringing its supporters over to our side.

This also means we all have to work harder to convince each and every Congressman in our respective territories to come over to our side.

The bill is now denominated as House Bill 5043, under Joint Committee Report 1156. There are 94 signatures (including double signatures on account of membership in two committees by signatories) in the Committee Report, as against the combined membership of 209 for the three committees. Signing the Report may not necessarily signify support for the bill. However, it will be necessary to talk to every signatory, to confirm their opposition if they are opposed, and to wean them away from the bill, if they are in support.

These are the signatories:

For Committee on Health: (65 Members in this Committee)

1. Congressman Arthur Pingoy of South Cotabato

2. Cong. Reynaldo Uy of Western Samar

3. Cong. Ferjenel Biron of Iloilo

4. Cong. Carlo Oliver Diasnes of Batanes

5. Cong. Edcel Lagman of Albay

6. Cong. Del De Guzman of Marikina

7. Cong. Antonio Roxas of Pasay City

8. Cong. Philip Pichay of Surigao del Sur

9. Cong. Sharee Ann Tan of Western Samar

10. Cong. Jose Carlos Lacson of Negros Occidental

11. Cong. Lorna Silverio of Bulacan

12. Cong. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz of Cebu

13. Cong. Zenaida Angping of Manila

14. Cong. Bernardo Pinol of North Cotabato

15. Cong. Pangalian Balindong of Lanao del Sur

16. Cong. Victoria Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan

17. Cong. Guillermo Cua of Coop-Natco PL

18. Cong. Mark Llandro Mendoza of Batangas

19. Cong. Marc Cagas of Davao del Sur

20. Cong. Henry Duenas of Taguig

21. Cong. Joseph Gilbert Violago of Nueva Ecija (with reservation)

22. Cong. Glenda Ecleo of Dinagat

23. Cong Antonio Diaz of Zambales

24. Cong Arturo Robes of San Jose del Monte

25. Cong. Judy Syjuco of Iloilo

26. Cong. Angelito Gatlabayan of Antipolo

27. Cong. Francisco Matugas of Surigao del Norte

28. Cong. Czarina Umali of Nueva Ecija

29. Cong. Rachel Arenas of Pangasinan

30. Cong. Ben Hur Salimbangon of Cebu

31. Cong. Liza Maza of Gabriela

32. Cong. Danilo Ramon Fernandez of Laguna

33. Cong. Risa Hontiveros-Baracque l of Akbayan

For Committee on Population & Family Relations: (25 Members in this Committee)

1. Cong. Reynaldo Uy of Western Samar

2. Cong. Raul Gonzales of Iloilo

3. Cong. Felix Alfelor of Camarines Sur

4. Cong Mauricio Domogan of Baguio

5. Cong. Elpidio Barzaga of Cavite

6. Cong. Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa (with reservation on Secs. 17,18 and 22)

7. Cong. Leonila V. Chavez of Butil Partylist

8. Cong. Eduardo Joson of Nueva Ecija

9. Cong. Datu Pax Mangundadatu of Sultan Kudarat

10. Cong. Florencio Garay of Surigao del Sur

11. Cong. Salvador Escudero of Sorsogon

12. Cong. Abigail Binay of Makati

13. Cong. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel

14. 14. Cong. Edcel Lagman

For Committee on Appropriations: (120 members in the Committee)

1. Cong. Edcel Lagman of Albay
2. Cong. Junie Cua of Quirino
3. Cong. Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa
4. Cong. Reynaldo Uy of Western Samar
5. Cong. Emil Ong of Northern Samar
6. Cong. Guillermo Cua of Coop-Natco PL
7. Cong. Nur Jaafar of Tawi-Tawi
8. Cong. Faustino Dy of Isabela
9. Cong. Trinidad Apostol of Leyte
10. Cong. Orlando Fua of Siquijor
11. Cong. Roque Ablan of Ilocos Norte

12. Cong. Victor A. Agbayani of Pangasinan

13. Cong. Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental

14. Cong. Franklin Bautista of Davao del Sur

15. Cong. Solomon Chungalao of Ifugao

16. Cong. Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental

17. Cong. Abdullah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte

18. Cong. Antonio Alvarez of Palawan

19. Cong. Jose Aquino of Agusan del Norte

20. Cong. Elpidio Barzaga of Cavite

21. Cong. Nanette Castelo Daza of Quezon City

22. Cong. Matias Defensor of Quezon City

23. Cong. Del de Guzman of Marikina City

24. Cong. Al Francis Bichara of Albay

25. Cong. Henry Dueñas of Taguig

26. Cong. Thomas Dumpit of La Union

27. Cong. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu

28. Cong. Rosendo Labadlabad of Zamboanga del Norte

29. Cong. Jeci Lapus of Tarlac

30. Cong. Faysah Dumarpa of Lanao del sur

31. Cong. Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela

32. Cong. Arnulfo Go of Sultan Kudarat

33. Cong. Antonio Kho of Masbate

34. Cong. Reno Lim of Albay

35. Cong. Pedro Pancho of Bulacan

36. Cong. Arthur Pingoy of South Cotabato

37. Cong. Monica Prieto-Teodoro of Tarlac

38. Cong. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin

39. Cong. Alvin Sandoval of Malabon-Navotas

40. Cong. Jose Solis of Sorsogon

41. Cong. Raul Gonzales of Iloilo

42. Cong. Michael John Duavit

43. Cong. Zenaida Angping of Manila

44. Cong. Jose Carlos Lacson of Negros Occidental

45. Cong. Jose Ma. Zubiri of Bukidnon

46. Cong. Victor Francisco Ortega of La Union

47. Cong. Monico Puentevella

48. Cong Arturo Robes of San Jose del Monte

49. Cong. Antonio Roxas of Pasay City

50. Cong. Lorenzo Tañada III

51. Cong. Niel Tupas, Jr. of Iloilo

52. Cong. Jose Yap of Tarlac

53. Cong Mauricio Domogan of Baguio

Our objective is clear. We should make sure that when the vote is taken on second reading, we would have mustered enough votes to defeat it. This means a majority of all the 238 members of the House of Representatives, who will be present during the voting, or at least a majority of those who will be present during the voting. This needs a lot of hard work within the next week, but let us all be assured that we are doing this with God’s help.

Let it also be known to all and sundry that Cong. Mariano Piamonte of A-Teacher Partylist has declared himself to be completely pro-life and that he will not support the RH bill. A lot more Congressmen have signified their support for life and family after their Cardinal/Arch/Bishops and lay groups have appealed to them to support Life and the Filipino family. Let us continue to work hard, sacrifice and pray that more may be converted in the House and the Senate. Please take note that we do need an absolute majority in both Houses of Congress. And that there is not much time.

So lets all move!

Please text feedback on results of your efforts to Fenny Tatad at 09177933669 or call landlines 02 9283627 or 02 9296596. Would appreciate updates daily to allow us to keep track of the number of Congressmen on our side.

Thank you very much and God bless! And please pass this email to all concerned.

Ma. Fenny C. Tatad
Executive Director, Bishops-Legislators Caucus of the Philippines
44 Ifugao St., La Vista, Quezon City 1108 Philippines
Tel. Nos. +6329296596 / +6329283627
Fax No. +6329299449 Mobile: +639177933669
fennytatad@yahoo. com