Hontiveros slams 'outright lies' about adolescent pregnancy prevention bill

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday refuted what she called "outright lies" that are being thrown against the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill being pushed in the upper chamber.

The senator held a press conference to reject claims that the proposed measure has "inappropriate concepts" that threaten the Filipinos' "moral, societal, and spiritual values."

"Bilang may-akda ng bill, nakakagulat at nakakagalit ang mga kasinungalingan na kumakalat sa social media laban sa panukalang batas na ito (As the author of the bill, I'm surprised and outraged at the lies spreading on social media against the proposed measure). We all want what's best for our children, but outright lies, misinformation, disinformation, and promoting fear can lead to more harmful decisions about our teen's lives. Nililito lang nila tayo (They are just confusing us)," Hontiveros said.

"These outrageous claims from Project Dalisay were pulled out of thin air. May national emergency na nga, ang inatupag pa nila ay pananakot sa mga Pilipino (They are focusing their efforts on raising fears among Filipinos amid a national emergency). Enough is enough. Let us demand real education for our kids," said Hontiveros, the chairperson of the Senate women, children, family relations, and gender equality.

Contrary to the claims of the group behind "Project Dalisay", Hontiveros said that Senate Bill (SB) 1979 has no provisions about teaching or encouraging masturbation for children aged zero to four years old, and teaching "bodily pleasure" or "sexual rights" to children aging six to nine years old.

"Absolutely none of those concepts exist in our bill. Those lines in their supposed rebuttal are complete and total fabrication," Hontiveros said.

The lawmaker also clarified that the bill was not derived from the "Standards of Sexuality Education in Europe", but was referenced from the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law as she refuted the claim that SB 1979 is unconstitutional.

Hontiveros likewise rejected the argument that parents will no longer have the authority to oversee sexually active children.

"Kung saan nila nahugot 'yan, hindi ko alam. Dahil walang batas o anumang polisiya sa Pilipinas ang magtatangkang magbawal sa mga magulang na gumabay sa ating mga anak," Hontiveros said.

(I don't know where they got that idea. There is no law or policy in the Philippines that would try to prevent parents from guiding their children.)

While she acknowledged the freedom for groups to make a position for or against the measure, Hontiveros said that opinions and comments about the bill should be based on facts.

"Dapat makatotohanan, hindi po kasinungalingan ang basehan ng pag-atake sa isang panukalang batas lalo na po at ang layunin... ay dagdagan ang child protection sa dumarami pa ring bilang ng mga batang ina o teenage na mga ina o magulang," said Hontiveros.

(Comments about the bill, especially its goals, should be based on facts, not lies... The measure seeks to strengthen child protection in the face of the increasing number of child or teenage parents.)

"An honest reading will show, kumpara du'n sa mga atake laban sa bill na walang wala 'yung mga atake na 'yun about sa masturbation, anal and oral sex, sexual rights, sa mga bata. Those are outright frabrications," she added.

(An honest reading will show that criticisms about provisions supposedly related to masturbation, anal and oral sex, are sexual rights are outright fabrications.)

Incalculable cost

Hontiveros was joined by Council for the Welfare of Children Undersecretary Angelo Tapales during the press conference, who expressed the need to address the issue of adolescent pregnancy.

"Kung titingnan lang po ang katotohanan at mga nasusulat lamang sa [panukalang] batas ay wala pong dahilan para hindi po ito pumasa," Tapales said.

(If we just look at the truth and what is written in the bill, then there is no reason for it not to pass the Senate.)

"'Pag po talagang di naging batas ang SB 1979… (If SB 1979 fails to become a law…) the cost of inaction is incalculable. We will lose the chance to save this generation from abuse, violence and neglect. Sana po 'wag po tayong umabot du'n (Hopefully we don't come to that point)," he added.

The CWC is the focal government inter-agency body that seeks to ensure a child-friendly and child-sensitive society.

Violence against children

According to Tapales, the measure does not only address the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the country, but also prevent the abuses that come with it.

He cited data from the Philippine National Police in 2023 which showed that out of 18,756 child rights' violations, over 17,000 of it involved violence against children, rape, and acts of lasciviousness.

Tapales added that data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that about 72% of the fathers of the children who were born from adolescent mothers are older males.

"We think that this is a measure of child protection... We welcome the rich exchange of ideas pero step back muna po tayo (but let us step back for now). Let us focus on the bill, let's focus on the facts," he said.

Educational materials

Further, Tapales said materials for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) have yet to be formulated as the bill provides that it is the Department of Education in collaboration with other agencies who will craft the curriculum after the measure is enacted into law.

"Wala pa po tayong pinag-aawayan pa talaga (There is nothing to argue about in relation to the materials)," Tapales said.

SB 1979 was already sponsored in the Senate plenary and is currently pending on second reading for its interpellation and amendments.

Hontiveros hopes that this measure will be passed in the 19th Congress, considering that 17 senators signed the committee report containing SB 1979, which prompted its endorsement to the Senate plenary.

Based on international standards

For her part, former Supreme Court chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who is part of the Project Dalisay, insisted that the bill provided that the CSE will be in line with "international standards," which she deemed to be the curriculum set by the UNESCO and the World Health Organization.

"Kasi ang philosophy ng CSE, internationally developed 'yan nitong mga UN agencies—UNESCO, WHO— and then they say that it is the child's right to, the right of pleasure from his or her body. So kasama dun sa deriviation of pleasure is the touching of body. Nino-normalize," Sereno said in an ambush interview.

(The CSE philosophy was developed by international UN agencies like UNESCO and WHO. And then they say that it is the child's right to, the right of pleasure from his or her body. So, part of the deriviation of pleasure is the touching of body. They are normalizing this.)

"Siyempre hindi mo 'yan makikita sa bill. Wala 'yan sa bill but when the bill says, 'according to international standards' then ang dapat i-jump is tingnan mo 'yung international documents. They teach these things..." she added.

(Of course, this will not be seen in the bill. But when the bill says, 'according to international standards,' then one should jump to check the international documents. They teach these things...)

Sereno was in the Senate the same day that Hontiveros conducted the press conference for a consultative meeting with the Senate basic education committee led by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Senate inquiry

In a separate interview, Gatchalian said he would launch an inquiry into Department of Education's order on the CSE.

"May concern rin sila dun sa current, 'yung present na Comprehensive Sexuality Education, may pinapatupad na kasi ngayon eh. So may concern rin sila doon so magka-conduct ako ng hearing on the present comprehensive sexuality education 'yung pinapatupad na ngayon through DO (Department Order) 31," Gatchalian said.

(There are concerns about the implementation of the current Comprehensive Sexuality Education. So, I will conduct a hearing on this, which is implmented through Department Order 31.)

Like the group's concern on SB 1979, Gatchalian said that the currently-implemented DO 31 also stated that the CSE should be attuned with the international standards.

"'Pag tiningnan natin 'yung international standards particularly UNESCO, World Health Organization, lahat 'yan ay Western-oriented 'yung kanilang international standard. Kaya sa kanila maagang edad pa lang natuturo 'yung mga ganyan... 'yung konsepto nila very liberal, talagang malayo sa atin," he added.

(When we look at the international standards, particularly UNESCO, World Health Organization, all of these are Western-oriented standards. That's why they teach these concepts at an early age... which are very liberal and much different from ours.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News