Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the primary author of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, on Friday said the Supreme Court had “pierced” the purpose of the law and “derailed” its implementation when it put on hold the distribution of certain contraceptives. Lagman reacted to the statement of Supreme Court spokesperson Ted Te who had been quoted in a report as saying there was no temporary restraining order (TRO) on the RH Law per se. “Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te was splitting hairs when he reiterated that the High Court did not derail the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law (R.A. No. “While there is no direct injunction against the implementation of the RH Law, the Supreme Court has pierced the heart and soul of the RH Law by making the certification, procurement and access to contraceptives more difficult and cumbersome,” Lagman added. The Supreme Court practically “derailed” the implementation of the RH Law up to the point that by 2018 the supplies of contraceptives may run out, he said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 13, 2017 08:47 UTC