Despite the more or less 30 amendments Sen. Vicente Sotto III will
reportedly lay down for the reproductive health (RH) bill, the
controversial measure will be passed on second reading by the Senate on
Monday, according to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
In an interview with GMA News' Kara David on “News To Go” Monday morning, Santiago said it has been the “strategy” of both houses of Congress to accept amendments when pressed for time and then discuss it thoroughly during the bicameral conference committee meeting.
"Well, we have a strategy for that, ginagawa iyan pangkaraniwan ng Senate at ng House of Representatives,” Santiago said. “Kung nagagahol kami sa panahon at mayroon pang maraming amendments, tatanggapin na lang lahat iyon tapos doon sa bicam, ah swerte nalang kung tatanggapin ng bicam."
"Maski na-accept na 'yung amendments mo, hindi 'yan siguradong lilitaw sa final version ng bill," she added.
The bill, which seeks to allocate government resources to procure artificial contraceptives, has been passed by the House of Representatives on second reading last week after surviving more than a year of plenary debates and a two-week amendment period.
13 senators
Santiago, co-author of the RH bill in the Senate, further said that they have the numbers to pass the RH bill, which President Benigno Aquino III certified as urgent last week.
"We will have a majority of, I hope, between 11 to 13 senators," she said, adding she based her numbers with the results of the voting of the proposed ammendments.
"Kapag nag-ammend ang isang senador na kalaban ng RH, natatalo sila at nananalo kami, malamang sa mananalo kami mamayang hapon," she said.
She also noted that Aquino's certification will effectively fast-track the passage of the bill, which has Catholic Church officials as its staunchest critics.
"Dahil na-certify as urgent na ng Presidente, hindi na namin kailangang maglagay ng puwang sa 2nd and 3rd reading, pwedeng sunod-sunod na iyon," Santiago said. "Kapag manalo kami sa second, panalo na kami sa third."
Watered down?
Santiago said despite the possibility that the RH bill will be watered down with all the amendments, she would prefer to pass it and let the bicameral conference committee vote on the amendments.
"So sometimes, nagagawa niyan, ang sponsor ng bill, tatanggapin na lang niya ang lahat ng ammendments tapos bahala na kung anong magiging boto sa bicam para lang matapos na ang period of ammendment, o ang tinatawag na second reading," she said.
Santiago also said the sponsor of the bill will make the nomination of the senators who will be part of the bicameral conference panel. "Natural na pipiliin niya ang mga kasangga niya," she said.
Cardinal Tagle
On Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle's appeal to lawmakers to be "open" to "God's Word and Wisdom" before deciding on the RH bill, Santiago said Catholics are not obliged to follow the bishop's order.
"Kasi dati, akala natin, basta nagsermon o nag-homily ang pari, ang obispo, ay kailangan nating sundin ng mahigpit iyan. Wala nang isipan. Nothing can be involved basta sinabi niyang akala mong Diyos na rin siya o sagrado ang mga salita na lumalabas sa bibig niya—hindi totoo iyon," she said.
"Kaya hindi naman kailangan na sundin natin ang sinasabi ng obispo lalo na't wala silang kapangyarihan ng ganon," she added.
Santiago said even the pope has no rights to issue infallible statement on moral issues. "Eh di lalo na mga obispo at pari, wala silang karapatan. Ang ginagawa nila ay magpayo, hindi sila pwedeng mag-utos."
Santiago also insists that "there is such thing as Catholic vote," citing former Health secretary Juan Flavier's case.
"Namimigay ang secretary of health ng mga condom sa mga mahihirap, hala bigay siya ng bigay ng condom. Nagalit ang simbahan at sinabing 'magkakampanya kami laban sa'yo'. Nangangampanya talaga sila pero nanalo pa rin si Senator Flavier," she said.
"Flavier as an example, there is no such thing as a Catholic vote," Santiago said.
JPE: RH bill has numbers
Earlier on, Senator President Juan Ponce Enrile, a staunch critic of the measure, admitted that the RH bill may have the numbers for its passage in the Senate.
Enrile said he learned of this after informally asking his colleagues about their positions on the controversial proposed measure.
“Ang reading ko, may numero na ang pro-RH," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
He also said the pro-RH side appeared to “have the numbers” even before Aquino certified it as urgent.
Enrile declined to give figures, but said the count may be “very close,” adding there are still some senators who are undecided and may make their mind after hearing all arguments on the bill.
“Marami ang nagsasabi na hindi nila alam ang position, hihintayin nila na marinig ang lahat na argumento o amendment," he said. — Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News
In an interview with GMA News' Kara David on “News To Go” Monday morning, Santiago said it has been the “strategy” of both houses of Congress to accept amendments when pressed for time and then discuss it thoroughly during the bicameral conference committee meeting.
"Well, we have a strategy for that, ginagawa iyan pangkaraniwan ng Senate at ng House of Representatives,” Santiago said. “Kung nagagahol kami sa panahon at mayroon pang maraming amendments, tatanggapin na lang lahat iyon tapos doon sa bicam, ah swerte nalang kung tatanggapin ng bicam."
"Maski na-accept na 'yung amendments mo, hindi 'yan siguradong lilitaw sa final version ng bill," she added.
The bill, which seeks to allocate government resources to procure artificial contraceptives, has been passed by the House of Representatives on second reading last week after surviving more than a year of plenary debates and a two-week amendment period.
13 senators
Santiago, co-author of the RH bill in the Senate, further said that they have the numbers to pass the RH bill, which President Benigno Aquino III certified as urgent last week.
"We will have a majority of, I hope, between 11 to 13 senators," she said, adding she based her numbers with the results of the voting of the proposed ammendments.
"Kapag nag-ammend ang isang senador na kalaban ng RH, natatalo sila at nananalo kami, malamang sa mananalo kami mamayang hapon," she said.
She also noted that Aquino's certification will effectively fast-track the passage of the bill, which has Catholic Church officials as its staunchest critics.
"Dahil na-certify as urgent na ng Presidente, hindi na namin kailangang maglagay ng puwang sa 2nd and 3rd reading, pwedeng sunod-sunod na iyon," Santiago said. "Kapag manalo kami sa second, panalo na kami sa third."
Watered down?
Santiago said despite the possibility that the RH bill will be watered down with all the amendments, she would prefer to pass it and let the bicameral conference committee vote on the amendments.
"So sometimes, nagagawa niyan, ang sponsor ng bill, tatanggapin na lang niya ang lahat ng ammendments tapos bahala na kung anong magiging boto sa bicam para lang matapos na ang period of ammendment, o ang tinatawag na second reading," she said.
Santiago also said the sponsor of the bill will make the nomination of the senators who will be part of the bicameral conference panel. "Natural na pipiliin niya ang mga kasangga niya," she said.
Cardinal Tagle
On Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle's appeal to lawmakers to be "open" to "God's Word and Wisdom" before deciding on the RH bill, Santiago said Catholics are not obliged to follow the bishop's order.
"Kasi dati, akala natin, basta nagsermon o nag-homily ang pari, ang obispo, ay kailangan nating sundin ng mahigpit iyan. Wala nang isipan. Nothing can be involved basta sinabi niyang akala mong Diyos na rin siya o sagrado ang mga salita na lumalabas sa bibig niya—hindi totoo iyon," she said.
"Kaya hindi naman kailangan na sundin natin ang sinasabi ng obispo lalo na't wala silang kapangyarihan ng ganon," she added.
Santiago said even the pope has no rights to issue infallible statement on moral issues. "Eh di lalo na mga obispo at pari, wala silang karapatan. Ang ginagawa nila ay magpayo, hindi sila pwedeng mag-utos."
Santiago also insists that "there is such thing as Catholic vote," citing former Health secretary Juan Flavier's case.
"Namimigay ang secretary of health ng mga condom sa mga mahihirap, hala bigay siya ng bigay ng condom. Nagalit ang simbahan at sinabing 'magkakampanya kami laban sa'yo'. Nangangampanya talaga sila pero nanalo pa rin si Senator Flavier," she said.
"Flavier as an example, there is no such thing as a Catholic vote," Santiago said.
JPE: RH bill has numbers
Earlier on, Senator President Juan Ponce Enrile, a staunch critic of the measure, admitted that the RH bill may have the numbers for its passage in the Senate.
Enrile said he learned of this after informally asking his colleagues about their positions on the controversial proposed measure.
“Ang reading ko, may numero na ang pro-RH," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
He also said the pro-RH side appeared to “have the numbers” even before Aquino certified it as urgent.
Enrile declined to give figures, but said the count may be “very close,” adding there are still some senators who are undecided and may make their mind after hearing all arguments on the bill.
“Marami ang nagsasabi na hindi nila alam ang position, hihintayin nila na marinig ang lahat na argumento o amendment," he said. — Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News
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