Pending bills

SPEAK OUT
May 30, 2008
SunStar Daily

The recent (selective) crackdown of pornographic materials nationwide following the spread of the Hayden Kho – Katrina Halili sex videos will just leave the culprits laughing.

Now pending in Congress are two measures seeking not just to protect women but to a certain degree will examine how far the current social system will protect its citizens, against gender and sexual exploitation, oppression and marginalization.

First, is Senate Bill No. 2317 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act now languishing at the House of Representatives after the Senate passed its own version.

Second, is House Bill No. 5043 or the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 which is “being-feared” at both houses of Congress.

We need both laws, which will legally and morally take charge of sex education and the understanding reproductive health issues and concerns.

Without such legislations, we will leave behind a generation of misguided people, whose only source of information and education materials are pornographic in nature.

It is ironic that the current Malacañang occupant, a woman herself, is silent on these two measures. Their passage should be fast tracked, if she really cares for them.

Commendable are groups pushing for both bills, like the Reproductive Health Advocates Network (RHAN-Cebu) and Anti-Child Pornography Alliance (ACPA-Cebu).

It is indeed urgent and timely that the two bills be given the attention they justly deserve.