‘Woman Power’ Urged vs Critics of Repro Health Bill

AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros called for the use of ‘women power’ to counter the efforts by anti-RH legislators to stall plenary debates on the controversial bill by questioning the quorum, urging all fifty-two female members of the House of Representatives to be always present and active during session hours.

She said that the 14th Congress is historical because this term has the highest number of female legislators in Congress. “We female legislators must not turn our backs on our fellow women. At the very least, we must give the bill its fair chance and have Congress debate on the merits of the bill. Let us not allow a fundamental women’s issue to be killed because of something as frivolous as absenteeism,” she said.

“We may not be united in supporting the RH bill, but we must at the very least recognize that reproductive health is a women’s issue. It is us, after all, who bear and nurture the child. We owe it to fellow women and fellow mothers that our presence during session hours is constantly felt and that our voices are heard, whether or not we are in favor of the bill,” AKBAYAN Rep. Hontiveros said. “Women are deprived of the right to choose every time the quorum is questioned to block the bill.”

“This effort to block the bill is another glass ceiling that must be broken. This term, we hurdled several firsts– from representation for women in the House leadership to having the reproductive health bill sponsored for the first time in the floor. We must not allow machismo to compromise these gains,” Rep. Hontiveros said.

“Unfortunately, this incessant questioning of the quorum stifles women’s voice,” the AKBAYAN solon added. “It’s a dilatory strategy that achieves nothing since no substantial discussion takes place. It gags hundreds of thousands of Filipino women who have been waiting for Congress to do its job and enact a national reproductive health policy.”

The lack of quorum would be less of a problem if all female representatives commit to stay at all times during session hours. Kagaya ng ating pagsasakripisyo sa pag-aalaga ng ating mga anak, ganun din dapat an gating pagsusunog ng kilay para sa mahalagang bill na ito,” Rep. Hontiveros urged fellow female lawmakers.

She said that not one among the authors has claimed that the bill is perfect. “But how can we work to enhance the bill if the quorum is always used to block meaningful debates on the bill? There is nothing more unfair that this de facto gag on a woman’s issue,” she said.

AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros revealed that majority of female legislators are in favor of the RH bill, an indication that the importance and urgency of the bill’s enactment resonates among Filipino women.

“Akbayan vows to convince the undecided and win over those who have indicated that they are against the bill,” AKABAYAN Rep. Hontiveros said. “It is not too late even for those who already said that they cannot vote for the bill,” she said.###

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