Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — President Duterte recently signed an executive order which would pave the way for the full implementation of the reproductive health law. Even with the EO in place, the government appeals to the Supreme Court to lift the stop order on contraceptives.
Commission on Population (ComPop) Executive Director Juan Perez said on Saturday the Executive Order No. 12 will bring modern family planning services to barangays, especially in the poorest communities.
“We perceive that there are around six million Filipinos women and individuals, including men, who would want to use family planning methods,” he said.
At present, the country’s population is at 104 million. By the end of this year, it’s expected to increase to 105.6 million.
Perez explained if the Supreme Court maintains its temporary restraining order on contraceptives, it will derail modern family planning in the country – which could possibly lead to one million more unintended pregnancies within one year and 900 to 1,000 maternal deaths.
The government is appealing to the Supreme Court to lift its stay order against contraceptive implants.
“Nakikiusap lang na i-lift na ito dahil nakakahadlang ito sa implementasyon ng family planning program na siyang sinasaad ng presidente ngayon,” he said.
[Translation: We are calling out to the Supreme Court to lift the TRO because it stops the implementation of the family planning program that the president is saying.]
The TRO was issued in July 2015.
The stop order came after the health department had acquired around 400,000 contraceptive implants for distribution. Complaints that the contraceptives had alleged abortaficient qualities surfaced, which the government contested.
In August 2016, the high court junked a motion to lift the TRO.
Perez warned the TRO will have an impact on the country’s supply of contraceptives.
“Unti-unti mauubusan ng supply ang gobyerno ng contraceptives. Magiging problema na sinasabi ng presidente full-blown effort tayo to promote family planning pero ito tayo napipigilan naman,” he said.
[Translation: The government’s supply of contraceptives will slowly deplete. It will be a problem because the president is saying we will have a full-blown effort, but there is a TRO.]
Those who will suffer the burden of poor reproductive health services and lack of information will be those living in the poorest communities, Perez said.
He added this was what the President’s executive order aims to address.
