FIFTH District Rep. Kimi Cojuangco is optimistic that the fate of the long-overdue law on reproductive health will be decided by August this year following President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s subtle endorsement of the proposed law in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.

Cojuangco, one of the authors of the House bill seeking to address the health risks faced by women in child-bearing, said she is “delighted” that PNoy gave a push for the measure when he asked the public in his SONA to “practice responsible parenthood”.

“As you know both Houses of Congress would not have moved without his lead,” said Cojuangco.

NO SMOOTH SAILING

But even with the President’s endorsement, she said she does not expect the passage of the RH bill passage to be smooth sailing.

Fr. Melvin Castro, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Family and Life executive secretary, said the Church will resume the campaign against the passage of RH Bill now that Aquino has openly expressed his support for it.

Cojuangco, however, believes there is now a chance to win the vote for the RH bill even by a very small margin.

“The same goes for the Senate,” she said.

Last Tuesday, authors of the proposed bill in the House of Representatives met to do a head count and discuss possible strategies to gain further support for their proposal.—Eva Visperas

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