MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / July 9, 2013) – The Aquino administration said it is confident that the Reproductive Health Law could withstand legal questions and could be implemented soon, state media said.
This, after Catholic priests threatened to challenge the legitimacy of the controversial law. The RH law is widely supported by many Filipinos, but the Catholic Church said it promotes abortion.
“We are confident that the Office of the Solicitor General will be able to—will ably represent the position of the government in this particular matter,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement.
Valte said the RH Law is not a new issue and nobody designed the Supreme Court hearings to coincide with the CBCP’s change of leadership.
There are 15 petitions challenging the RH Law while six intervenors are seeking to uphold its legality.
Last March, the SC issued a 120-day status quo ante order stopping implementation of the RH Law, and setting oral arguments on June 18.
The restraining order was issued in response to consolidated petitions of several groups who brought the issue to the court wanting to halt the implementation of the Reproductive Health law soon after its passage last year.
20