The Philippine Online Chronicles

The controversial Reproductive Health bill or House Bill 5043 will not be tackled before Congress adjourns for the election period, said House Speaker Prospero Nograles at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Yung RH, di na talaga namin kukunin because it's controversial [We will no longer tackle RH bill because it's controversial]. There are 20 people who are going to stand to interpellate [its proponents]. We can’t do it in the last two days,” he said.

Congress has only one session left before it adjourns in time for the official campaign period which begins on February 5. Nograles emphasized that there was simply not enough time to address the bill, which has raised protracted debates about its ethical implications.

In an earlier interview, Nograles said, "The order of this week, I told the leadership in the House, we will take up only measures that we can pass.”

“Those controversial measures na hahaba pa ang debate, at mag-uuwian kasama namin at wala ng quorum, itabi muna namin yan. Kasi last two days na lang tayo [Those controversial measures that cause long debates while some people go home already so we don’t reach quorum, we will set those asides for now. Because we only have two days left],” he added.

“Nakita naman ninyo. Ang pinapasok namin yung mga non-controversial. Yung hinog na at wala nang mag-question [You’ve seen how it is, we’re just passing those which are non-controversial. Those ones that are ready to go and no one questions them]. Otherwise, we will be tied down with debates. We cannot produce anymore."

The RH bill, which has both staunch supporters and detractors, has been in the period of interpellation since December 7 of last year. Among its proposals is mandatory sex education for students starting in Grade 5 and state hospitals purchasing contraceptives as part of their supplies.