Hontiveros hopes SOGIESC, anti-teen pregnancy bills pass in 20th Congress
Sen. Risa Hontiveros is hoping that the upcoming 20th Congress will see the passage of controversial bills such as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) and Anti-Teenage Pregnancy. (Photo from her office)
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros is hoping that the upcoming 20th Congress will see the passage of controversial bills such as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) and Anti-Teenage Pregnancy.
Speaking at a Kapihan sa Senado forum on Wednesday, the minority senator expressed hopes that the 20th Congress would finally be the one to pass the measures.
“I really hope na the 20th Congress will finally be — magiging 10th Congress na yata yan na i-re-refile ang SOGIESC equality bill — will finally be the Congress to pass the SOGIESC equality bill into law,” said Hontiveros.
(I really hope that the 20th Congress—it’s the 10th Congress that the SOGIESC bill was refiled—will finally be the Congress to pass the SOGIESC equality bill into law.)
“And gayon din yung Teenage Pregnancy Prevention bill. Dahil nananatiling national emergency yan, social emergency yan. Finake news lang kasi eh, yung comprehensive sexuality education. Pero it really deserves to be passed alang-alang sa ating mga teenagers, sa ating mga teenage parents, at lahat pa ng mga stakeholders na sumusuporta sa ating mga teenagers,” she added.
(The same with the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention bill. It remains a national and social emergency. It was just marred by fake news, particularly the comprehensive sexuality education. Still, it deserves to be passed for the sake of our teenagers, teenage parents, and all stakeholders who support our teenagers.)
In the same forum, Hontiveros was asked about the prospects of the divorce bill in the 20th Congress. She gave a commitment to refile the bill should the measure fail to undergo a second reading.
READ: Divorce bill finally reaches Senate
“Pag hindi pa rin mabigyang daan yung continuation of second reading, interpellation, kasi pending na siya. Na-interpellate na twice na mga colleagues ko ang Dissolution of Marriage bill. We will refile on the 20th. We will simply refile. That’s my commitment,” said Hontiveros.
(If the bill’s second reading and interpellation would not be given a chance to be continued, because it’s still pending, and the Dissolution of Marriage bill had gone under interpellation by two colleagues, we will refile it on the 20th. We will simply refile. That’s my commitment.)
