FILE PHOTO: Senator Risa Hontiveros during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he has nothing to worry about the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023.
According to the principal author of Senate Bill (SB) No. 1979, it does not contain the provisions that the president finds problematic, such as teaching four-year-olds how to masturbate and the right to try different sexualities.
Article continues after this advertisementMarcos earlier claimed to have read SB No. 1979 and said he was “shocked” and “appalled” by certain provisions of the proposed measure.
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO Sandigan finds former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista guilty of graft NEWSINFO Marcos denies 'blank' GAA items, says Duterte 'lying' NEWSINFO Baguio records first mpox caseMarcos even guaranteed to veto the bill in its current form.
READ: Marcos ‘shocked, appalled’ by anti-adolescent pregnancy bill’s contents
Article continues after this advertisementHowever, Hontiveros clarified that the bill does not contain the points he talked about.
Article continues after this advertisement“Mr. President, with all due respect, maliwanag na wala po sa bill kahit ‘yung salita na ‘masturbation.’ Wala din po ‘yung ‘try different sexualities’,” the senator said in a statement.
(Mr. President, with all due respect, it is clear that the word “masturbation” is not in the bill. It also does not contain “try different sexualities.”)
Article continues after this advertisement“CSE (Comprehensive Sexuality Education) contains the very same things you support: teaching kids anatomy, consequences of early pregnancy, ‘yan po ang atin ding sinusulong (that is what we are pushing for),” she added.
READ: Hontiveros dispels ‘conspiracy theories’ on adolescent pregnancy bill
Hontiveros likewise assured Marcos that she is open to amendments to further “refine the bill” to “steer it to passage.”
Senator Joel Villanueva, meanwhile, welcomed Marcos’ remarks on the proposed measure. He also expressed support for the president’s stance on the issue, citing the opposition of “millions of families” to SB No. 1979.
“While we agree that there is a need to address the rising cases of adolescent pregnancy in the country, it should not be at the expense of our children’s innocence and should not be detrimental to their health, studies, and morals,” Villanueva said in a statement.
“Let us also be reminded of the importance of families as stated in our Constitution which recognizes the natural and primary right and duty of parents to rear their children,” he added.
This is not the first time Hontiveros tried to dispel “fabricated” provisions of SB No. 1979, stressing they are mere misinformation.
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She even previously assured Filipinos that all questions raised regarding the legislation would be threshed out once Senate floor debates on the bill are opened.
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Hontiveros also clarified that under SB No. 1979, otherwise known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023, the implementation of the CSE will be guided by the Department of Education (DepEd) and international standards.
Based on a DepEd brieferssbet77, the agency affirmed “there is no explicit focus on teaching young children topics such as oral or anal sex or encouraging exploration of bodily pleasure in inappropriate ways” in its development of detailed lesson plans for CSE.
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