State solicitor gives final word in RH debates

MANILA - Government and the main authors of Republic Act (RA) No. 10354, also known as the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, presented their final arguments in defense of the law before the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday. Senior State Solicitor Florin Hilbay told the high court that the RH Law is "carefully balanced," and it is wrong for petitioners to insist that it should only be viewed from the perspective of religion. Hilbay questioned the position of petitioner Couples for Christ Foundation, which said the law violates freedom of religion "as it confers upon the wife sole authority to decide on matters relating to her reproductive health in disregard of their Catholic faith which gives the husband authority to decide in cases of marital deadlock." Hilbay said this claim cannot stand since the law actually recognizes the rights to liberty and privacy of either the husband or the wife to undergo an RH and contraceptive procedure. Hilbay said that the law is gender-neutral and is not discriminatory to either of the couple. ANC Headstart, August 28, 2013