House urged to recall OK of ‘pregnancy' bill

More than a year after its passage in the House of Representatives, a bill which aims to prevent adolescent pregnancies as well as institutionalize protection for adolescent parents is being questioned by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who wants it recalled and subjected to further scrutiny for being “deceptive.”

- JOSE RODEL CLAPANO and MARC CAYABYAB

Rodriguez said he filed a House resolution on Friday seeking the withdrawal of the chamber’s approval of House Bill No. 8910 and its return to an appropriate committee where it would be checked for compliance with the Constitution and family laws.

The House of Representatives approved HB 8910 in September last year. A Senate version, Senate Bill 1979, is pending.

“Many provisions of the bill aim to institutionalize Comprehensive Adolescent Sexuality Education (CASE), which is a different and separate subject matter from adolescent pregnancy. This is violative of Article IV, Section 26, Paragraph (1) of the Constitution,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said Article IV, Section 26, Paragraph (1) of the Constitution states: “Every bill passed by Congress shall embrace only one subject matter which shall be expressed in the title thereof.”

He said HB 8910 “is very deceptive considering that (while) a reading of the title of the bill will show that it deals with the prevention of adolescent pregnancies and protection of adolescent parents, the bill in fact is mainly on institutionalizing CASE.”

The Cagayan de Oro representative noted the apprehensions and warnings expressed by the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches and Public Policy Review Commission chairperson and former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that CASE, which is being promoted by three United Nations agencies, “is an international program…that will hyper-sexualize children at a very early age.”

“It has been alleged that CASE will result in undermining parental authority, early sexualization, promoting risky behaviors, contradicting constitutional values, failing to establish abstinence, introducing age-inappropriate content and promotion of homosexuality/bisexuality,” Rodriguez said.