The Opaque Bill

House Bill 4110 is all about the Reproductive Health Act. It strengthens its implementing structures. This act provides and enacts the rights of the women, men and children to reproductive health equally and without discrimination. Some of these rights and provisions include the information of the citizens about reproductive health, the access to reproductive health care services and all.

Now, some of the forums say that they wanted to abolish this bill. Summarizing this bill, it all cares about the people’s reproductive health (RH) like family planning, contraception and health care services. But, why do they want this bill to be abolished?

In its section 5, one of the elements of RH is the Prevention and Management of Abortion and its Complications. Here, abortion will be prevented but it will also be managed. Why would there be complications of abortion if it is prevented; if it is not legalized? I think this is also what the opposition noticed. It may not be encouraging abortion but it implies that if a mother commits abortion, they would just tolerate it and treat its complications. Well, it’s good that they are helping these psychologically and physiologically unfortunate mothers who have complication due to abortion but let’s think about this—these complications could never happen if abortion is totally prevented.

Still in section 5, one of the functions of the DOH-led NRHMC is to review the laws and take necessary efforts to amend such laws and policies on some areas. One of these areas is abortion. They may amend or repeal the laws against abortion. This may mean that they may make changes regarding its sanctions or may even legalize abortion in order to control the overpopulation. The house bill is so vague on some parts that one may be confused of its interpretation.

I hope that the House of Representatives would reconsider the bill or make some amendments to it, specifically on section 5, the third element will be limited to the prevention of abortion and make no mention of its complications, so that total prevention will be enacted. This amendment is also for the purpose of not bothering different religious convictions of different people. They must be specific on the “amendments” that they are speaking of because this has no assurance of what changes they might make. Sanctions or penalties may even be repealed which should not be.

I just hope that they are making this bill for the common good and for the country’s development and not just for their own interests for business that they may be hiding from us.