House approves RH bill on second reading

The Philippine House of Representatives narrowly passed the controversial reproductive health bill (House Bill 4244) on second reading, 113 to 104 in favor of those supporting the measure. The approval comes at the end of a marathon legislative session that started Wednesday afternoon and lasted until early morning of Thursday.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the chief proponent of the bill in the Lower House, deflected most of the amendments that critics of the bill like Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas, and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez have put forward. The House leadership closed the period of amendments around 8PM and initially tried to hasten the bill’s passage by pushing for a viva voce vote (or via voice vote of ayes and nays).

House Deputy Majority Leader Erin Tanada soon pronounced the affirmative side as the winner in the voice voting. Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia and Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco challenged its results and pushed for a nominal voting instead. In this process, all House solons will be given up to three minutes to explain their vote. According to initial reports, 217 members of the lower house are present in today’s deliberations – enough to constitute a quorum.

The number needed to make the bill advance to the third and final reading remained uncertain until the end because of latecomers led by Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. In the end, 111 became the magic number since only 220 out of 286 House members voted during the proceedings. As a presiding officer, Tanada can only vote only in case of a tie. To advance to the Senate, the bill has to be supported by a simple majority (or 144 votes, assuming everyone is present during Monday’s session).

In response to a query from The Filipino Scribe, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development explained that since the RH bill is already passed in the second reading, the House Secretariat will have to distribute a copy of the amended bill to all members of Congress within the next three days. The measure will undergo a third and final reading on Monday.

How did your district representative vote? Check this list:

YES            

1. Abad, Dina (Batanes)

2. Aglipay (DIWA)

3. Alcala (Quezon)

4. Alvarez, M. (Negros Occidental)

5. Amante-Matba (Agusan del Norte)

6. Angara (Aurora)

7. Antonio, Patricio (Agbiag PL)

8. Arnaiz (Negros Oriental)

9. Arquiza (Senior Citizens PL)

10. Bag-ao (Akbayan PL)

11. Baguilat (Ifugao)

12. Balindong (Lanao del Sur)

13. Banal (QC)

14. Barzaga (Cavite)

15. Batocabe (Ako Bicol)

16. Bautista (Davao del Sur)

17. Bello (Akbayan)

18. Belmonte (Quezon City)

19. Belmonte (Lanao del Norte)

20. Benaldo (Cagayan de Oro)

21. Benitez (Negros Occidental)

22. Bernos (Abra)

23. Biazon (Muntinlupa)

24. Binay (Makati)

25. Biron (Iloilo)

26. Bondoc (Pampanga)

27, Bulut-Begtang (Apayao)

28. Cajayon (Caloocan)

29. Calixto-Rubiano (Pasay)

30. Casino (Bayan Muna)

31. Castelo (Quezon City)

32. Catamco (North Cotabato)

33. Celeste (Pangasinan)

34. Cerafica (Taguig-Pateros)

35. Chipeco (Laguna)

36. Cojuangco (Pangasinan)

37. Colmenares (Bayan Muna)

38. Cosalan (Benguet)

39. Cruz-Gonzales (CIBAC)

40. Datumanong (Maguindanao)

41. De Jesus, Emmi (Gabriela PL)

42. Defensor (Iloilo)

43. Del Rosario (Davao del Norte)

44. Del Rosario (Capiz)

45. Dimaporo (Lanao del Norte)

46. Duavit (Rizal)

47. Ebdane (Zambales)

48. Eriguel (La Union)

49. Espina (Biliran)

50. Estrella (ABONO)

51. Flores (Bukidnon)

52. Fuentes (South Cotabato)

53. Garcia-Albano (Davao City)

54. Garin (Iloilo)

55. Garin (AAMBIS-OWA)

56. Gatchalian, R. (Valenzuela)

57. Gatchalian, W. (Alay Buhay PL)

58. Go, A. (Isabela)

59. Go, Arnulfo (Sultan Kudarat)

60. Gonzales, N. (Mandaluyong)

61. Guanlao (Butil)

62. Haresco (Ang Kasangga)

63. Hataman (Basilan)

64. Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon)

65. Ilagan (Gabriela)

66. Jalosjos, C. (Zamboanga del Norte)

67. Jalosjos, S. (Zamboanga del Norte)

68. Joson (Nueva Ecija)

69. Kho (Senior Citizens PL)

70. Lacson-Noel (Malabon)

71. Lagdameo, A. (Davao del Norte)

72. Lagdameo, M. (Makati City)

73. Lagman (Albay)

74. Ledesma (Negros Occidental)

75. Limkaichong (Negros Oriental)

76. Loong (Sulu)

77. Lopez, C. (Manila)

78. Lopez, C.J. (YACAP)

79. Loyola, R. (Cavite)

80. Maranan (1-UTAK)

81. Mariano (Anakpawis)

82. Mendoza (TUCP )

83. Miraflores (Aklan)

84. Mirasol (Negros Occidental)

85. Nava (Guimaras)

86. Ortega (La Union)

87. Padilla (Nueva Vizcaya)

88. Paez (COOP-NATCO)

89. Palatino (Kabataan PL)

90. Palmones (AGHAM)

91. Ponce-Enrile (Cagayan)

92. Primicias-Agabas (Pangasinan)

93. Quimbo (Marikina)

94. Sacdalan (North Cotabato)

95. Sahidulla (Sulu)

96. Sakaluran (Sultan Kudarat)

97. Sarmiento (Western Samar)

98. Sema (Lanao del Norte)

99. Singson (Ilocos Sur)

100. Sy-Alvarado (Bulacan)

101. Teodoro (Tarlac)

102. Tinga (Taguig City)

103. Tinio (ACT)

104. Tomawis (ALIF)

105. Trenas (Iloilo City)

106. Tugna (CIBAC)

107. Tupas (Iloilo)

108. Ungab (Davao City)

109. Villar (Las Pinas)

110. Villarica (Bulacan)

111. Yap (Tarlac)

112. Yu (Zamboanga del Sur)

113. Zubiri (Bukidnon)

NO

1. Abayon (Aangat Tayo)

2. Acharon (General Santos)

3. Acop (Antipolo)

4. Alcover (ANAD)

5. Almario, Thelma (Davao Oriental)

6. Alvarez, Antonio (Palawan)

7. Angping (Manila)

8. Antonino, Rodolfo (N.E)

9. Apacible (Batangas)

10. Aquino (Agusan)

11. Arago (Laguna)

12. Asilo (Manila)

13. Bagasina (ALE PL)

14. Bagatsing (Manila)

15. Bataoil (Pangasinan)

16. Bichara (Albay)

17. Bonoan-David (Manila)

18. Cabaluna (1-CARE)

19. Cabilao Yambao (Zamboanga Sibugay)

20. Calimbas-Villarosa (Mindoro Occidental)

21. Cari (Leyte)

22. Castro (Capiz)

23. Cerilles (Zamboanga del Sur)

24. Climaco (Zamboanga City)

25. Co, Christopher (Ako Bicol)

26. Crisologo (QC)

27. Cua (Quirino)

28. Dalog (Mt.Province)

29. De Venecia (Pangasinan)

30. Del Mar (Cebu)

31. Dimaporo, F. (Lanao del Norte)

32. Ejercito, Juan Victor (San Juan)

33. Fabian (Zamboanga)

34. Ferrer (Cavite)

35. Fortuno (Camarines Sur)

36. Fua (Siquijor)

37. Fuentebella (Camarines Sur)

38. Garay (Surigao del Sur)

39. Garbin (Ako Bicol)

40. Garcia, Albert Raymond (Bataan)

41. Garcia, P. (Cebu)

42. Garcia, P.J. (Cebu)

43. Golez (Bacolod)

44, Golez (Paranaque)

45. Torres-Gomez (Ormoc)

46. Gonzales, A. (Pampanga)

47. Gonzales F. (Albay)

48. Gullas (Cebu)

49. Javier (Antique)

50. Lanete (Masbate)

51. Lico (Ating Koop)

52. Macapagal-Arroyo, J.M (Ang Galing Pinoy)

53. Madrona (Romblon)

54. Magsaysay (Zambales)

55. Malapitan (Caloocan)

56. Maliksi (Cavite)

57. Mandanas (Batangas)

58. Maranon (Negros Occidental)

59. Marcos (Ilocos Norte)

60. Matugas (Surigao del Norte)

61. Mellana (Agusan del Sur)

62. Mendoza (Batangas)

63. Mercado-Revilla (Cavite)

64. Montejo (An Waray)

65. Noel, B. (An Waray)

66. Nograles (Davao)

67. Obillo (Una ang Pamilya)

68. Ong (Northern Samar)

69. Pacquiao (Saranggani)

70. Panotes (Camarines Norte)

71. Paras (Bukidnon)

72. Payuyo (APEC)

73. Piamonte (A-Teacher)

74. Plaza (Agusan del Sur)

75. Puno (Antipolo)

76. Ramos (Sorsogon)

77. Rivera (1-CARE)

78. Robes (San Jose del Monte City)

79. Rodriguez, I. (Abante Mindanao)

80. Rodriguez, R. (Cagayan de Oro)

81. Rodriguez, R. (Rizal)

82. Romarate (Surigao del Norte)

83. Romualdez (Leyte)

84. Romualdo (Camiguin)

85. Romulo (Pasig)

86. Salimbangon (Cebu)

87. Sarmiento (Catanduanes)

88. Socrates (Palawan)

89. Suarez (Quezon)

90. Syjuco (Iloilo)

91. Teves (Negros Oriental)

92. Tiangco (Navotas)

93. Tieng (Buhay)

94. Ting (Cagayan)

95. Ty (LPGMA)

96. Umali (Nueva Ecija)

97. Unabia (Misamis Oriental)

98. Unico (Camarines Norte)

99. Valencia (Mindoro Oriental)

100. Velarde (BUHAY)

101. Velasco (Marinduque)

102. Vergara (Baguio City)

103. Violago (Nueva Ecija)

104. Yap, A. (Bohol)

ABSTAIN

1. Ferrer (Negros Occidental)

2. Gunigundo (Valenzuela City)

3. Remulla (Cavite)

About Author

Mark Pere Madrona

The Filipino Scribe (TFS) is managed by Mark Pere Madrona, a multi-awarded writer and licensed professional teacher from the Philippines.

Mr. Madrona earned his master’s degree in history from the University of the Philippines-Diliman last 2020. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from the same university back in 2010. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media.

Know more about him here: https://www.filipinoscribe.com/about/.

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