Philippines Congress Adjourns Without Vote on RH Bill

International   |   Rene Bullecer   |   Oct 13, 2011   |   5:47PM   |   Manilla, Philippines

Filipinos breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday as Congress adjourned for their month-long recess without any legislators attempting to force a vote on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill despite promises from supporters of the bill in the House of the Representatives that it would be passed that day.

The bill would fundamentally change the Philippines forever by imposing a Western population control agenda through contraception and other “reproductive health” services. The bill also creates provisions to fine or jail opponents of the bill’s programs if they were to give “false or misleading” information about the bill.

The pro-RH Bill crowd was able to mobilize nearly a thousand violet-wearing supporters to be on standby in the gallery as cheerers. The color violet has become the official color of the pro-RH Bill movement, while the color red was adopted to symbolize the pro-life anti-RH Bill activists.

We thanked God for the power of social networks: e-mail campaigns and SMS text messages were sent across the country, triggering a formidable text brigade of prayer warriors who prayed hard against this bill.

Although there was considerable drama on the floor of Congress, the day ended without the vote being proposed. The senior anti-RH Bill legislators vowed they would not allow a vote until those who were scheduled to speak against the bill had their say. We still have at least two dozen legislators scheduled to grill the proponents and co-authors of the demonic RH Bill.

In the Senate, our number one pro-life supporter and defender, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, together with three other strong anti-RH Bill senators, said the bill should be sidelined until the middle of January 2012.

With this small but substantial victory for pro-lifers here in the Philippines, and with the House of the Representatives on recess until November 14, 2011, we will begin preparations for the upcoming Philippines for Life Congress on November 16-18, 2011 here in Cebu City, hosted by Human Life International Pilipinas. We expect all the key pro-life leaders in the Philippines, both lay and church people, to converge for this, the biggest pro-life event in the country this year.

Of course, we continue to work hard and pray harder for the next round of battle in the legislature starting in November. We pro-lifers in the Philippines must keep proclaiming the truth of our message of respect for life and the family against the culture of death’s propaganda that is flooding our country.

LifeNews.com Note:  Reprinted with permission from Human Life International’s World Watch forum.