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Press Release
  • Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
  • 0916-6406737/0918-9120137
  • 16 February 2011

 

           Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman, the principal author of the RH bill, announced that the members of the Committee on Appropriations all but guaranteed today “the inexorable progression to enactment of the reproductive health bill.”

           The Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved the appropriation provision of the consolidated RH bill which reads: “The amounts appropriated in the current annual General Appropriations Act for reproductive health and natural and artificial family planning under the DOH and POPCOM shall be allocated and utilized for the initial implementation of this Act. Such additional sums necessary to implement this Act; provide for the upgrading of facilities necessary to meet Basic Emergency Obstetric Care and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care standards; train and deploy skilled health providers; procure family planning supplies and commodities as provided in Sec. 10; and implement other reproductive health services, shall be included in the subsequent years' General Appropriations Acts.”

             The Committee voted 20 to 3 in favor of the measure.

             The current substitute bill is a consolidation of House Bills 96, 101, 513, 1160 and 3387 as approved previously by the Committee on Population and Family Relations.

             After getting the approval of the Committees on Population and Family Relations and Appropriations, the substitute bill together with the Committee Report of the Committee on Population and Family Relations will be submitted to the Committee on Rules so that the RH bill could be calendared for plenary debates, Lagman said.

             He also underscored that, “we do not only have the superiority of numbers; we also have the superiority of arguments.”

             Lagman added that “central to the bill is freedom  of informed choice and access to information and services promoting both natural and modern family planning methods.”

              The proponents of the RH bill in the House are confident that the controversial measure will finally become a law before the year ends.

             Lagman stated that the enactment of an RH law will  confirm the results of almost two decades of surveys documenting  the peoples’ overwhelmingly support for the passage of an RH law.

Press Release
PRESS RELEASE Rep. Edcel C. Lagman 0916-6406737/0918-9120137 16 February 2011 Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman, the principal author of the RH bill, announced that the members of the Committee on Appropriations all but guaranteed today “the inexorable progression to enactment of the reproductive health bill.” The Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved the appropriation provision of the consolidated RH bill which reads: “The amounts appropriated in the current annual General Appropriations Act for reproductive health and natural and artificial family planning under the DOH and POPCOM shall be allocated and utilized for the initial implementation of this Act. Such additional sums necessary to implement this Act; provide for the upgrading of facilities necessary to meet Basic Emergency Obstetric Care and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care standards; train and deploy skilled health providers; procure family planning supplies and commodities as provided in Sec. 10; and implement other reproductive health services, shall be included in the subsequent years' General Appropriations Acts.” The Committee voted 20 to 3 in favor of the measure. The current substitute bill is a consolidation of House Bills 96, 101, 513, 1160 and 3387 as approved previously by the Committee on Population and Family Relations. After getting the approval of the Committees on Population and Family Relations and Appropriations, the substitute bill together with the Committee Report of the Committee on Population and Family Relations will be submitted to the Committee on Rules so that the RH bill could be calendared for plenary debates, Lagman said. He also underscored that, “we do not only have the superiority of numbers; we also have the superiority of arguments.” Lagman added that “central to the bill is freedom of informed choice and access to information and services promoting both natural and modern family planning methods.” The proponents of the RH bill in the House are confident that the controversial measure will finally become a law before the year ends. Lagman stated that the enactment of an RH law will confirm the results of almost two decades of surveys documenting the peoples’ overwhelmingly support for the passage of an RH law.

Press Statements
  • Office of Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
  • Tel No. 9315497/4155455
  • 0916-6406737/0918-9120137
  • 09 February 2011

 

           The death by suicide of former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes sends the message to legislators to desist from engaging in trial by publicity and to defer to prosecutorial and judicial officials the jurisdiction over purported crimes.

           Reyes possibly could not bear his own and his family’s embarrassment due to repeated allegations and innuendoes of wrongdoings so much so that he preferred death to dishonor.

           It is of no moment that the person who perished is innocent or guilty because one’s death diminishes the entire society.

           We must respect the decision of Reyes to take his own life to foreclose the continuing assaults on his integrity without the benefit of a judicial process wherein innocence is presumed before final conviction.

Press Statements
  • Office of Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
  • Tel No. 4155455
  • 0916-6406737/0918-9120137
  • 08 February 2011

 

            The non-inclusion of the Reproductive Health bill in the initial 12 priority measures of Malacañang for submission to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) is not a setback.

           What is important is that President Aquino has not backtracked from his endorsement of responsible parenthood, which is a component of reproductive health, and voluntary family planning based on freedom of choice of methods, both natural and modern modes.

           Responsible parenthood refers to the right of parents to freely and responsibly determine the number and spacing of their children to adequately respond to the needs and aspirations of the family.

           Almost 44 years ago the Philippines was a signatory to the Teheran Declaration which provided that reproductive health and family planning are basic and universal human rights.

           Freedom of informed choice is central to the substitute bill on “Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development”, which was overwhelmingly approved last week by the House Committee on Population and Family Relations.