Escudero not fully supportive of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill

Senate President Francis ''Chiz'' Escudero said Thursday he has proposed several amendments to the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention bill being pushed in the upper chamber, admitting that he is not entirely supportive of it.

''As it was originally reported, no. At least not in its entirety. In fact, I have relayed to the author several proposed amendments to it,'' Escudero said when asked if he supports the bill.

''It's still undergoing the 'rigors of legislation' and is currently in the period of interpellation… will await the final version that will be put to a vote where, hopefully, most of my proposed amendments will be carried,'' Escudero said.

He did not specify the amendments that he proposed as regards the bill. Escudero also said former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno did not tell him not to support the measure.

''She did not. She just expressed concerns over it. When I spoke to her she said that their group is against the bill per se,'' Escudero said.

Sereno had 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.

Under the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, Comprehensive Sexuality Program will be “a compulsory part of education, integrated at all levels with the end goal of normalizing discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health and to remove stigma at all levels.”

The author of the measure, Senator Risa Hontiveros, said Senate Bill 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 ages six to nine.

She said the bill was referenced from the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law as she refuted the claim that SB 1979 is unconstitutional.

'Diabolical attack' on Filipino families

Senator Joel Villanueva opposes the measure.

“It should be based on our culture, our beliefs of protecting the innocence of children. Let’s not encourage them to do these things. Let’s not allow children to play with fire. We should instead guide them,” Villanueva said during the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday.

“And again, I don't see any emergency, national emergency for sexuality education in our country,” he added.

Government interventions preventing teenage pregnancy, Villanueva said, should be age-appropriate.

“The government should address the rising cases of teenage pregnancy, that is not debatable. We need to teach students to prevent teenage pregnancy, but it should not cover all levels. You can’t integrate that in Grade 1, Grade 2,” Villanueva said.

“Besides, the right of parents to rear their child is backed by the Constitution.''

Meanwhile, the Council of the Laity of the Philippines backed the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution’s (NCFC) opposition to the implementation of CSE, which they call a “diabolical attack” on Filipino families.

“The said bill of the Senate: 'Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023' is diabolical in nature as it aims to remove the parents from any participation in their adolescents' life,” the group said in a statement.

The group raised concern over the access of adolescents to sexual material without parental consent.

“Adolescents, under this bill, are from ages 10 to 19. Even the adolescent who cannot vote nor drive, can now be caught, and can access sexual material without parental consent nor information,” the group said.

“We call on the Senate to DUMP THIS BILL,” it added.

The bill is still awaiting a second reading in the Senate, while its counterpart bill in the House of Representatives was passed on the third reading in September 2023. — with Mariel Celine Serquiña and Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News