THE Gabriela Women’s Party-List today said the Supreme Court’s status quo ante order effectively suspending the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law affirms that the struggle for women’s health continues.
“Various dissenting opinions including Gabriela Women’s Party’s reservations as explained in our vote when the law hurdled deliberations in the Lower House underscores the various criticisms raised on the RH Law,” Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said.
The lady legislator said Gabriela Women’s Party has long raised its objection to the Aquino-Akbayan backed population control agenda in the RH Law. The RH Law’s population control framework effectively defeats its publicized intent to provide health services and unmasks the Aquino government’s duplicity amid the privatization of government hospitals and health services.
“The fight for women’s access to healthcare continues and we remain steadfast in pushing for pro-women, pro-poor and pro-health legislation,” Ilagan added.
Earlier, The Supreme Court stopped Malacañang and other government agencies from implementing Republic Act 10354, or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, for a period of four months.
The Supreme Court approved the 120-day status quo ante order after a vote of 10-5, and set the oral arguments on the consolidated cases assailing the constitutionality of the RH law on June 18.
Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said the order was “preliminary” and the possibility of the high court ruling in favor of the legality of the law remained.
The SQA order was directed at Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II who were all named respondents in the case.