Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Anyare?!

So the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante, stopping the implementation of the RH law, apparently to hear out those who filed petitions against it.  The RH Law is being suspended for 120 days or 4 months. Those who voted for this controversial move are Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita de Castro, Arturo Brion, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto Abad, Martin Villarama Jr., Jose Perez, Jose Mendoza, and Bienvenido Reyes. Going against them were Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Antonio Carpio, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Mariano Del Castillo, and Marvic Leonen. It was a 10-5 battle, and we're obviously in the losing end. Remember their names, my friends. Remember their names.

After 14 years of blood, sweat, and tears, of battles in the cyberworld, in congress, and in the streets, this happens. After the bill was torn apart and put together in both Upper and Lower House for more than a decade and after the finally President signed it, they take it back. After the IRR has been written with all the consideration for people's religious feelings despite sacrificing so many good provisions, they stop a law that is built to better people's lives dead on its tracks. 

Wow. 

Good job, Anti-RH peeps. You guys are probably celebrating in your self-righteous, sinless ways, which of course excludes alcohol and hot make-out sessions. Way to go. Excellent job. Great work. We're 14 years delayed already, what's four more months? It'll only mean the death of 1,320 mothers because of pregnancy-related complications that might otherwise be prevented or solved if the LAW had been implemented as it should be. It'll only mean more cases of teenage pregnancies because the youth have very little access to reproductive health. It'll only mean the continuous rise of HIV infections. 

In a statement by RH advocate Edcel Lagman, he explains the constitutionality of the RH Law.


Time to put on my Vagina Warrior armor again. They say it will take four months to sort out the petitions, and out champions are optimistic of the outcome. We advocates can wait this out. But we won't wait quietly. We will watch and speak and act just like we have watched and spoken and acted to make comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services a reality. 

We don't take injustice sitting down. 

Your move, Supreme Court. 



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