Elizabeth Angsioco, DSWP National Chairperson, is confident that the RH issue will not be sidetracked with the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“What this political issue showed us is the fact that Congress can act swiftly on any issue if it so desires. There can no longer be any acceptable justification to further delay the measure since the HOR has shown the country that time is not a problem,” she said. “The decisiveness should also happen to the more than a decade-old RH bill,” she added.

DSWP hopes to hand over copies of more than 100,000 signatures endorsing the immediate passage of the RH bill to President Aquino during the “Occupy for RH goes to Malacanang” today. The event themed “P-Noy, Walisin ang Hadlang sa Matuwid na Daan, RH Bill Pagbotohan Na!” organized by RH Occupy campaign is joined by more than a thousand advocates coming from various sectors.

According to Angsioco, the signatures were gathered by various organizations and community volunteers all over the country and from DSWP online petition. “These signatures prove that ordinary Filipinos, especially those in poverty, see the urgent need for the passage of the RH bill,” Angsioco stressed.

She added that more signatures are yet to be submitted and that the signature campaign will continue until the RH bill is voted on by both Houses of Congress.

Angsioco said that their group will also be furnishing RH champions in the Senate their own set of the signatures once the Session reconvenes next year.

“Let these be a call to Congress that the Filipino people want their representatives to act as swiftly on the RH bill issue as they do on other political issues like the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona,” said Angsioco. “Congress should realize that bills directly dealing with people’s lives are as, if not more critical than political issues.”

Moreover, Angsioco added that advocates are also hoping that President Aquino will act as decisively on RH as he does on others issues. She said, “like corruption, RH is also among the Chief Executive’s priorities and part of his contract with the Filipino people. It’s high time for the President to give RH more attention. The Filipino people are waiting,” she ended.

Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP) added that in doing so, the CBCP wants to impose its dogma by dictating how citizens should live their lives and how Congress should work.

“The RH bill has been pending in Congress for more than 10 years,” Angsioco said. “How can more than 10 years of never ending debates be labeled as rushing?” she commented. Angsioco emphasized that the RH bill is perhaps the most debated bill in our country’s legislative history.

Angsioco added, “in fact, because anti-RH legislators like Sen. Sotto have run out of arguments, they now resort to witch hunting of the bill’s advocates and insist on the existence of an imaginary international conspiracy that will legalize abortion in the country through the RH bill.”

The CBCP’s call on the President only proves the contrary of what they say: they do not have the numbers in Congress. “The claim that anti-RH will win if the RH goes to a vote is just one of the manufactured lies to mislead the public, especially the lawmakers who are still quiet about their position”, explained Angioco.

“Why else would the bishops block the voting if indeed, they have the numbers?” she said. “If the antis really have what it takes to defeat the bill, they should push for its voting, and not derail the democratic legislative process,” she added.

According to Angsioco, history proves that bishops are not undefeatable as regards democratic lawmaking is concerned. Angioco recalls that decades ago, the bishops also staunchly opposed the inclusion of the Rizal course in school curricula. She explained that the bishops did not want the life and works of Rizal to be studied by the Filipino youth in school perhaps because of the national hero’s critical writings against the Roman Catholic Church. “But the bishops lost the battle in the legislative process,” she said.

The patriots in Congress rose to the occasion and voted in favor of the Rizal course. “As they will again, in the RH Bill,” Angsioco said. “The bishops are threatened because they know that once again, they will lose,” she stressed.

Like in the Rizal Course issue, again, the Filipino people need the patriots in Congress to heed their call – pass a law that will enable the government to provide the people with access to comprehensive RH education and services. “Enough of the debates, vote on the RH bill now! Even President Aquino wants this to happen,” Angsioco ended.

Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), one of the groups that Sotto hit said that the Senate Majority Floor Leader uses his power to pick on RH bill advocates instead of doing his job which is to schedule the voting for the measure.

According to Angsioco, Sotto’s arguments that organizations do not exist because they are not registered with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) only revealed the Senators’ lack of understanding about how most organizations work. “Sotto should know that a big number of organizations, especially those composed of marginalized sectors are not SEC-registered but are actively working for social transformation. It is a pity that the Senator hits organizations that are actually helping the government and politicians like him, do their work,” she added.

“It looks like that in his effort to look for ‘ammunitions’ against RH groups such as international connections and funding, he hit all organizations, whether he found something or nothing. It’s funny that those he hit including the ones he accused of being ‘foreign agents’ are actually some of the most recognized organizations in the country,” Angsioco said.

As the national chairperson of DSWP Angsioco takes offense, she said that DSWP has been working with grassroots women for almost two and a half decades. “We are present in 14 regions of the country and have been instrumental in the passage of several laws including the Anti-Rape, Anti-Violence against Women and their Children and the Magna Carta of Women. We have, for years been working with both Houses of Congress and other government institutions like the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),” she stressed.

Unfortunately for Sotto, Angioco explained, there is nothing new in his arguments against the bill. They are basically the same ones that he has been mouthing since the start of his never ending interpellation. Sotto desperately attempts to veer the discussion toward an imaginary international conspiracy to bring abortion to the country. “This argument is absurd. No pro-abortion law can be passed in this country because of the Constitutional prohibition against it,” Angsioco asserted.

Angioco emphasized that if Sotto is true to his word that he is not delaying the bill, then he should yield the floor to other Senators who might want to interpellate. “It is him always interpellating. What he is doing is tantamount to filibustering so the bill doesn’t get voted on,” she said.

“If indeed, Sotto is not blocking the RH bill, then he should do his responsibility and put the bill to a vote. It is time, as what Senators Defensor-Santiago and Cayetano say, vote on the RH bill now!” Angsioco ended.

During the ceremonial opening of the photo exhibit dubbed “Sa Ngalan ng Ina at ng Anak” at the O4RH camp site in SB Bayan Park, Batasan Quezon City, Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), criticized the lack of sincerity of some lawmakers to respond to the call of the majority of the Filipino people to pass the RH bill as repeatedly shown by various credible surveys.

Angsioco argued that the whole nation, except for a few groups, favors the RH bill. She added that beyond the surveys, the bill is also endorsed by virtually all civil society organizations, other religious groups including Iglesia ni Cristo, relevant government agencies like the Department of Health (DOH), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). Even the President wants the bill to pass as evidenced by its inclusion in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Angsioco stressed, “the only remaining link to finally institutionalize comprehensive RH services is the Congress’ vote. All the bill’s opponents do is delay the vote. At the House of Representatives, we expect the Speaker to fulfill his promise that the bill will be voted on this December. ”

“Also,” Angsioco comments, “since the RH bill is a priority measure of the Palace, advocates believe that it is also high time for P-Noy to exert the same political will he has shown in other issues such as the one of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the bill’s passage.

“The Palace has demonstrated in a number of cases what it can do when it exerts political will. The people need the same for the RH bill,” she said. “After all, RH bill has languished in Congress under various administrations. P-Noy can be different if he chooses to side with the people. If he can make the RH bill a law under his administration, it will be his administration’s best legacy” she ended.

Lourdes Gargantos-Gemarino
1957 – 1985

Lourdes was a 28-year-old public school teacher from Guimbal, Iloilo. Her husband was a farmer. Even at the early stage of her second pregnancy, Lourdes’ husband already noticed her swollen cheeks and feet. Because of poverty, they could not have her see a doctor.

On her last month of pregnancy, family members kept noticing that Lourdes was pale and weak. Despite these and because they lacked money, they decided that Lourdes would deliver at home with the assistance of a “hilot.” Lourdes gave life to twins but she was bleeding.

The family wanted to rush her to the hospital but because they lived five kilometers away and there was no public transportation, it took long before they found a vehicle. By then Lourdes was already soaking in her own blood and having a convulsion. She died on February 27, 1985 without reaching the hospital. It was eclampsia. Two months after, one of her twins also died.

Sections 6 – Provision of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care; and 12 – Mobile Health Care Service of SBN 2865, or RH Bill could have saved Lourdes and other poor women who died needing the services.

STOP DEATHS OF MOTHERS

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THE RH BILL NOW!

Joevelyn Cardinas

Joevelyn was a high school graduate from La Paz, Iloilo City. She came from a poor family and unemployed. After high school she had a live-in relationship with a 27-year-old seasonal construction worker. They lived in a shanty near a river. Because they were very poor, they did not have floors and only used cartons as mattresses at nights.

Joevelyn got pregnant and could not go for pre-natal check-ups. She was unaware that she had a congenital heart disease and only knew about her condition during the last month of her pregnancy.

She was brought to the hospital when she started having labor pains but while they were waiting, she suffered a heart attack. She was rushed to the delivery room where she gave birth to a baby boy. Joevelyn, however, did not make it. She succumbed to cardiac arrest on 3 August 2008 at the age of 20.

Joevelyn could have been helped with the implementation of SBN 2865, the RH bill’s provisions on: Family Planning (Sections 7, 9, and 10; Section 16 – Public Awareness; Section 5 – Hiring of Skilled Health Professionals for Maternal Health Care and Skilled Birth Attendance; and Mobile Health Care Service (Section 12).

STOP DEATHS OF MOTHERS

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THE RH BILL NOW!

Nahahati ang exhibit sa dalawang bahagi.

Una, ang mga mukha ng ina at anak na nagpapakita ng pagdarahop sa buhay lalo na nang malalaking pamilya. Inilalarawan ang hirap ng isang ina mula sa panganganak hanggang sa pag-aalaga at pagpapalaki ng mga ito. Ipinahihiwatig ang hinagpis at dusa, ang araw-araw na pakikibaka upang makaraos at patuloy na mabuhay ang buong pamilya.

Kukurot sa puso ang huling larawan ng bahaging ito: ang imahe ng mga hubad na batang nakatunghay sa naglalakihang Christmas tree na hindi nila makikita sa kanilang tahanan.

Ang pangalawang bahagi ay inaasahang magdudulot ng pag-asa tungo sa isang mas maayos na buhay.

Isang halimbawa ang ipinakikita sa exhibit, ang halimbawa ng mga serbisyong pangreproduktibo na natatamasa ngayon ng mga mamamayan sa probinsya ng Ifugao kung saan may umiiral na Reproductive Health (RH) Code.

Kasama ang mga serbisyong ito sa mga ipatutupad kapag ang RH bill ay ipinasa na ng Konggreso at pinaiiral na sa buong bansa.

Hindi man mayaman ang mga ina, anak, at pamilya, ipinapakita sa mga larawan na nagdudulot ng ngiti sa mga labi at tiwala sa kinabukasan ang pagkakaroon ng mga serbisyong pang-reproduktibong kalusugan.

Ang pag-asa para sa isang maaliwalas na kinabukasan ay lalong ipinahihiwatig ng huling larawan: ang mga inang masayang naghahatid ng mga anak sa paaralan.

Ang pag-asa ay maaaring maramdaman ng buong bansa, kapag ang RH bill ay isa nang ganap na batas.

Ito ay magaganap mula sa Martes, Nobyembre 29 hanggang Disyembre 3, 2011 sa SB Park, Batasan Road, Quezon City.

Ma. Fe Gayatao-Gicanal
1964 – 1982

Fe was a home-based worker from Guimbal, Iloilo. She was 16 years old when she got married. Her husband was a farm helper. Fe was 18 when she had her second pregnancy which caused her demise.

She was on her 9th month when she went to the barangay health center for pre-natal check up. Fe was advised by the midwife to consult a doctor who, in turn, wanted to admit her to the hospital because of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.
Fe decided against the doctor’s advice because they had no money and she was still breastfeeding her firstborn.

Two days later, Fe started to have labor pains. She told her husband to gather wood. Fe was alone with her one-year old child when she gave birth to twins without any assistance. Her mother arrived in the afternoon and saw that Fe was profusely bleeding. When the husband arrived, he was told to get the “hilot” who in turn told them to get the midwife.

Because they lived far from the “poblacion” and there was no means of transportation, it took long before the midwife arrived. The midwife asked them to buy medicine and Fe’s husband had to run an entire five kilometers to do this. Despite the medicine, the bleeding continued. They brought Fe to the hospital but she was already declared dead on arrival due to Hemorrhage.

Fe could have been helped with the implementation of SBN 2865, the RH bill’s provisions on: Family Planning (Sections 7, 9, and 10; Section 16 – Public Awareness; Section 5 – Hiring of Skilled Health Professionals for Maternal Health Care and Skilled Birth Attendance; and Mobile Health Care Service (Section 12)

STOP DEATHS OF MOTHERS!

SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR
THE RH BILL NOW!

According to Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), for more than 10 years now, advocates have shown restraint and tempered the advocacy with reason. Despite the consistent clamor from the majority of Filipino people who need the RH bill backed with scientific studies by the country’s respected economists and shown by all credible surveys, anti-RH lawmakers continue to employ delaying tactics against the bill.

Angsioco said, “Yesterday’s session at the HOR clearly showed how legislators like Representatives Pablo Garcia, Raul Daza, Amado Bagatsing and Sergio Apostol do this. When a quorum was present, they used privilege speeches, personal and collective privilege, and interpellation on these to use precious time up.”

“Rep. Daza’s speech even contained how a boxing match is judged, the scores given by judges of the recent Pacquiao-Marquez fight, how many punches were released by both, etc. He was interpellated by Rep. Bagatsing on this and the boxing lectures in the HOR continued. Meanwhile, as they were doing this, known anti-RH legislators were seen leaving the Plenary. When the time to discuss the RH bill came, there was no longer a quorum and thus, only a short time was used for the bill before Rep. Sergio Apostol stood up to question the quorum. Technicalities are used to delay the RH Bill’s passage and all these are paid for by the Filipino people’s money,” Angsioco recalls.

Angsioco and her organization believes that it is now the time for more assertive actions to bring the message that advocates will no longer tolerate such tactics and will not stop until the RH bill is voted on. “This is why our group is now among those occupying Congress for RH,” said Angsioco.

She further states that there is no reason why the voting should be delayed further. “No new arguments emerge. Instead, we see repetition of questions already asked many times as well as absurd arguments that defy reason and logic,” she added.

Angsioco calls on anti-RH lawmakers, to stop delaying the vote on the bill. “They say they have the numbers, therefore, they should not delay the voting. There is no logic in doing this when they think they will win. We are equally, if not more confident that more lawmakers will side with the Filipino people and vote for the RH Bill. The vote will settle this,” stressed Angsioco.

DSWP, a group of forty thousand women advocates working with grassroots communities nationwide, is joining the group determined to stay in the RH advocates’ camp inside the SB Bayan Park, in Batasan, Quezon City.

Marie Juliet Bernados
1975 – 2011

Juliet was from Poblacion, Calinog, Iloilo. She was 36 years old when she died on 21 July 2011 six days after she gave birth to her third child. Juliet was married to seaman Edmer Pelagio.

On 15 July, Juliet, as scheduled, underwent a caesarian section. Her healthy baby was delivered but Juliet died of pulmonary embolism.

During the wake, Edmer said that Juliet had an earlier heart condition, was taking maintenance medicine and was advised against getting pregnant again. But she did after five years. Sadly, because of this, her family lost her.

Marie’s life could have been saved if she better knew about high-risk pregnancies and how to prevent these. Sections 16, 7, 9, and 10 of SBN 2865, the RH Bill could have helped her.

STOP DEATHS OF MOTHERS!

SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR
THE RH BILL NOW!