The Philippine Online Chronicles

The House of Representatives has temporarily suspended the plenary debates on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill after the centralized air conditioning system in the plenary hall broke down early Tuesday afternoon.

Although the legislators were notified that repairs were undergoing, House secretary general Marilyn Yap said in a text message to House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II that the airconditioning system will not be operational before the day ends.

The cancellation of the session was approved by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

Lagman, one of the proponents of the bill, said that the temporary cancellation of debates due to the unexpected glitch gives more power to sectors backing up the RH bill.

“This coincidence reinforces our advocacy and resolve to pursue the enactment of the Reproductive Health bill in order that pregnancy and development should not be left to the contingency of accidental events. This temporary setback of only one day should spur RH advocates to continue surmounting all supervening obstacles,” he reportedly said.

Sponsors of the bill were re-scheduled Wednesday to present their arguments stressing the importance of an RH legislation, after which a long debate on abortion, use of artificial contraceptives, family planning and population will follow, SunStar.com reported.

Dialogues suspended

Late last month, Catholic church leaders in the country opted to temporarily leave their seats in the regular discussions between them and officials of the national government.

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Bishop Nereo Odchimar said that they will do a no-show in the third dialogue scheduled in late February as the RH bill runs on a speedy track "in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and the Senate."

However, Malacañang officials have decided to continue pushing for a responsible parenthood measure despite the absence of representatives from the Catholic Church.

Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that the government "cannot wait" for the return of the prelates, although their input from the "fruitful" first two sessions would be considered.

The plenary hall was set to hold the debate on the House Bill 4244, otherwise known as “The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2011.”

The said legislation is a consolidation of several house bills: House Bill 96 filed by Lagman, 101 by Rep. Janette Garin, 513 by Rep. Kaka Bag-ao and Rep. Walden Bello, 1160 by Rep. Rolando Biazon, 1520 by Rep. Augusto Syjuco, and 3387 by Rep. Luz Ilagan and Rep. Emmi de Jesus.

But a blog report from wordpress.com said that lawmakers still could not yet hold the plenary debates over the RH bill Wednesday as the air conditioning problems, still not yet fixed, prompted another suspension of the session.

'Double talk'

Even though the Palace does not list the RH bill in its priorities, a CBCP official remarked that the measure's eventual passage can be seen as the House of Representatives is moving at full speed.

Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, CBCP's Commission on Family and Life chairman, also said that they are convincing lawmakers not to approve the bill.

“ It’s like there’s somebody dictating them to railroad it. There is double talk here in the government. Malacañang said there is [no] prioritization. But the House is (working) double time," Aniceto was quoted in the CBCP's website.

CBCP denounces the RH bill as it is "against [Catholic] Church teachings against artificial birth control and for imposing sex education among primary and high school students."

Meanwhile, a reader at GMANews.tv left a comment at the said website, saying that religious groups have the obligation to teach people regarding morality to prevent them from indulging in premarital sex and abortion.

But “the reason why we now need to have a RH bill is to provide the Filipino people information and services needed to live a healthy life,” a certain manilablock added.