Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros appealed to her colleagues Thursday to give the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill a “fair chance” in the upper chamber after she amended the version that was questioned by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and some groups.
“Ang teen pregnancy ay isa pa ring national emergency at kailangan pa rin natin sa Senado na magpasa ng batas na makakatulong sa mga Pilipino. Hindi pwedeng talikuran ng Senado ang kanyang tungkulin na tugunan ito,” Hontiveros said.
(Teen pregnancy is still a national emergency and the Senate needs to pass a law that will help the Filipinos. The Senate should not turn its back on its job to address this.)
“This is why it is important for us to find a common ground, so we can pass this urgent and important piece of legislation. So, this time, I hope the Senate gives this a fair chance,” she added.
Hontiveros made the call after she filed a substitute bill that replaces the version of Senate Bill 1979 with amendments addressing the concerns on Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE).
“I hope this allays valid and genuine fears. I hope this helps bring us senators together to finally pass a Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill our country so desperately needs,” she said.
Prior to the filing of a substitute bill, seven senators withdrew their signatures that contained the previous version of SB 1979 which became controversial.
Despite the withdrawal of support, Hontiveros believes that the retraction of support of her colleagues does not mean that the bill will be sent back at the committee level.
“This matter is already in plenary and the withdrawal of signatures doesn’t have the effect of reverting it back to the committee level,” she said.
“Any objections by other senators should be expressed in plenary through questions and other proposed amendments,” she added.
Disinformation?
Hontiveros then urged the senators who retracted their support for the measure to study the substitute bill, noting that their objections were “based on disinformation.”
She also hit back at Senator Joel Villanueva who said that the filing of the substitute bill showed that it was a “scam.”
“All I can say is that…It goes to show na mapang budol ang bill,” Villanueva said in a Viber message.
Reacting to this, Hontiveros said the real scam is the disinformation on the bill.
“The devil is also inaccurate representation ng trabaho ng mga colleagues. There’s nothing hidden about CSE, sa bill, napakabukas na probisyon niya bilang isa sa mga supportive preventive mechanisms laban sa adolescent pregnancy,” she said.
“Ang totoong pambubudol ay ‘yung ginawa ng mga nag-fake news laban sa bill. Ang totoong pambubudol ay ‘yung mga nagkalat ng disinformation at nanakot sa ating sambayanan sa pamamagitan ng kanilang social media operations. Ang totoong pambubudol ay yung mga nagsinungaling tungkol sa bill,” she said.
(The real scam is the fake news that was peddled against the bill. The real scammers are the ones who have spread disinformation and sowed fear to our countrymen through their social media operations. The real scammers are those who lied about the bill.)
Meanwhile, Hontiveros expressed confidence that the substitute bill on SB 1979 will address the concerns of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Kung nabasa ni presidente ‘yung original Senate Bill 1979 at lalo na dito sa aming substitute bill, makaklaro sa kanya kung ano ‘yung totoo na nandun sa bill namin at ano ‘yung mga kasinungalingan na ikinalat laban dun,” she said.
(If the president read the original version of Senate Bill 1979 and now the substitute bill, he will know the truth about the bill and the lies that were peddled about it.)
She thanked the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office for getting a copy of the substitute bill for its transmittal to the Office of the President.
Earlier in the day, Marcos said he would read first the substitute bill when asked if his stance would change following the development. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
