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By Kathy M. Villalon

GUIMBAL, Iloilo – Iloilo First District Rep. Janette Garin, one of the authors of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, said she believes the issue should be tackled in debates, not through protest rallies.

“We respect their views, much as we ought to respect them. But the bottom line is, in all of this, is the need to really debate on the measure and vote on it so we hear the real contents of the bill and allow the true voice of our people to be heard,” Garin told The News Today.

Last Friday, the Catholic church spearheaded a rally at the Luneta Park in Manila to protest the passage of the RH Bill, which oppositors consider “pro-abortion” and “pro-death.”

In Iloilo City last March 17, about 4,000 Ilonggos joined the Jaro Archdiocese-led interfaith prayer rally against the passage of the RH Bill.

Dubbed “March for Life,” it was attended by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

“Watching the interview of the students in attendance in the rally, we could see that there’s so much misinformation. In the rallies, they claim that the RH bill is pro-abortion and pro-death. But it’s not true. RH bill is a pro-poor pro-quality of life and pro-people measure,” Garin said.

Garin filed House Bill 101 which seeks to enable individuals and couples to have the number of children they desire with due consideration to health particularly of women, and resources available to them.

It also provides for equitable allocation and utilization of resources; effective partnership among the national government, local government units and private sector in people-centered programs towards quality of life and environmental protection; and the conduct of studies to demographic trends towards sustainable human development.

House Bill 101 is one of the five reproductive health bills filed in the House of Representatives.

‘THEY DON’T READ THE BILL’

Garin said most of those who attend the rallies do not read the bill, including its accepted amendments.

She said several provisions in the bill have already been scrapped or changed and that nothing about the measure promotes abortion.

“Public debates will be better than rallies so that those who attend will gain more knowledge and the legislators can likewise assess the real sentiments of an informed public,” Garin said. “I do believe that majority of the Ilonggos, especially those who have read the proposed measure, are supportive of this bill.”

She futher said: “According to the SWS survey, seven out of 10 Filipinos approve of this bill. I am happy to note that almost all congressmen before and now are supportive of this bill. It has not affected politics. We have a literate and highly intellectual composition of the electorate and that makes legislators like us more inspired to work and we won’t fear that our actions be misinterpreted as politicking.”*