EDITORIAL – Time to move on

With Congress finally putting an end to the long debate on the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, it is now time for our people to unite and move on.
House Bill 4244 and Senate Bill 2865 will henceforth become an amalgam of what will soon be the RH Law after the bicameral committee shall have reconciled versions of both Houses.
Like any debate, the heat of battle is now history and all that is left is a country ready to face the consequences of its chosen path. What we gained from the passage of the controversial measure is the appreciation of democracy’s blessings where everyone can freely express his or her ideas on even the most delicate of topics such as sex and personal choices.
The Church for one departed from the constitutional bounds of the separation of Church and State and expressed passionately its opposition to the RH Bill, keeping the debate on the platform of morality and religious doctrines. Proponents of the measure on the other hand anchored their arguments on empowering women, arresting poverty and protecting the welfare of children. The long, protracted battle swung us back and forth to the varying opinions, from promiscuity to liberality on one hand to life conservation and morality on the other.
In the buildup towards the final voting, however, the issues were filtered and misconceptions were corrected. Gone are the arguments that bordered on the ridiculous and stupid. These are signs that we have matured as a country and we have deepened our understanding of the real issues of this strongly-debated measure. Although we cannot also avoid that there are still legislators in the House and Senate whose votes are more influenced by self-preservation “in aid of reelection.”
Now that Congress has spoken as representatives of the people, it is time for the government to focus on the bigger picture and the more pressing concerns that are all intertwined with the Reproductive Health measure—strengthening the economy, generating jobs, and promoting social justice.