Delayed legislation, delayed protection of lives. No future in that.

    

Amnesty International

Press Release

6 March 2012


Two days before the World March of Women during the International Women’s Day on 8 March, women and men, urgently hoping for a positive vote for a Reproductive Health law the soonest time, will once again go to the Senate to listen to the interpellation on Senate Bill No. 2865 or RH bill.

Amnesty International Philippines joins individuals and groups from all walks of life in their call for the government to enact a Reproductive Health law as a step to fulfill  its obligations to promote and protect reproductive and sexual rights of its citizens and remove barriers to maternal health and access to reproductive health information, goods and services. Amnesty International said that the International Women’s day would have been a significant day to enact a reproductive health law.

“It is a missed opportunity not to enact the reproductive health law before March 8, the International Women’s Day! The RH law would have been one of the best gifts for mothers on March 8,”  declared Dr. Aurora Parong, Director of Amnesty International in the Philippines.

Dr. Parong said that “Reproductive rights include women’s rights to make decisions about their reproductive lives free of coercion, discrimination and violence. It is about ensuring women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health information and services to end preventable maternal deaths. We can protect the mothers and decrease the number of mothers dying because of child birth through  a reproductive health law. “

Amnesty International appealed to the Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, to once and for all allow all questions and concerns to be asked, answered and clarified, then end the interpellations to move on to the next step towards the voting of the RH bill. The human rights organization noted that it has been more than a decade that a bill on reproductive health was first proposed. Last year, Senator Enrile had expressed concerns about the bill’s impact on population, development and security.

“We welcome the honorable Manong Johnny’s efforts to continue the Senate deliberations on the RH bill even while the impeachment trial is not finished. We understand that as Senate President, it is his duty to provide for a venue for senators to interpellate and clarify concerns, including his concerns which he said will impact on the future of the Philippines as a nation.

The RH law is not only for women, it is for couples and family. We would like to reiterate that further delay in the passage of a reproductive health law would be a delay in the protection of mothers and babies. When a mother dies, a family is deprived of a mother’s nurturing love and care.” Dr. Parong explained.

Amnesty International Philippines emphasizes that when women living in poverty have no access to emergency obstetric care because of lack of information, or because it is expensive, or because it is not available in their area, maternal deaths will continue and the Philippines will not achieve its Millenium Development Goal 5. It is the government’s duty to protect women and girls from preventable deaths and for them to enjoy their right to life and develop their full potentials as people.

“A delay in legislation is a delay in the improvement of the lives of women living in poverty. Healthy women and children can contribute to the strengthening of our economy and to our development as a nation. If passed, the law would make a positive contribution towards ensuring Filipinos’ human rights, thus also ensuring a good economic future for the country. When a woman is clueless on how to plan a family, clueless on how to make ends meet for a big family and clueless on how to avoid disease while pregnant, she does not become an asset to society but is engulfed in the vicious cycle of deprivation and human rights abuse. The generations after her will face deprivation, exclusion, insecurity and voicelessness and these will perpetuate poverty. We don’t think that there is a bright future in that, Manong Johnny.” Concluded Dr. Parong.  

Amnesty International leaders will hand over today an urgent appeal to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile  to “ensure that sexual and reproductive rights are respected for all women, men and families regardless of social status, sexual orientation, age or religion by ensuring the passage of a reproductive health law” immediately.  The petition  was signed by 1,000 members and supporters of  Amnesty International. In December last year, a similar petition signed by 2,000 people was sent to the Senate President’s office. The human rights organization has been conducting information and education on sexual and reproductive rights, as part of human rights, in ious parts of the country.