The Supreme Court (SC) has effectively killed the Reproductive Health Law by preventing the government purchase of certain contraceptives, one of the principal authors of the measure said on Friday. “Te was splitting hairs when he reiterated that the High Court did not derail the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. 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, a lawyer, pointed out in a statement. President Rodrigo Duterte issued an Executive Order (EO) this week to go around the Supreme Court TRO. Under Section 9 of the RH Law, the FDA is the primary authority that will determine which hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and family planning products and supplies are safe, legal, non-abortifacient and effective.

Source: Manila Times January 13, 2017 11:08 UTC