Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Wednesday, November 15 threatened to give the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) a zero budget for next year if they refuse to withdraw their stand on decriminalizing abortion.
Estrada, who is sponsoring the CHR’s proposed budget for 2024, also said he is ready to give up defending the Commission’s budget if they “still pursue that line of decriminalizing abortion.”
The senator said the CHR should withdraw their earlier stand, and issue a strong statement that they are against abortion.
“They have to rectify their mistake...Let’s face it, the Catholic Church is against it, even other religious denominations, they are against it. Not only is it against the teachings of the church, it is also against our laws," Estrada said during a press briefing at the Senate.
“And it is also clear that we have a specific provision under the Constitution about abortion,” he added.
"They have to issue a statement, a strong statement that they are against abortion, that's it," he reiterated.
Estrada had moved to defer the Senate plenary approval of the proposed budget of the CHR after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano raised the issue about a statement made by CHR Executive Director Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia advocating for the decriminalization of abortion.
De Guia admitted advocating the decriminalization of abortion but said the statement was done during the 5th Commission of the CHR under the late then Chairperson Chito Gascon, during the Aquino administration.
“So I told them, why don’t you change that statement? We’re already in the 6th Commission. So unless they give a clear and concise stand against abortion, that is the time I will defend their budget,” he said.
“If they still pursue that line, decriminalizing abortion, then I will ask for a replacement. I will not defend their budget. I cannot defend their budget,” he pointed out.
Asked if it is possible they could receive a “zero budget,” Estrada answered in the affirmative.
“That is possible. Why not? If they don’t give me or the Senate a stand against abortion, then I will talk to my colleagues to give them zero (budget), or a reenacted budget,” he said.
Estrada also said de Guia has no business speaking about decriminalizing abortion especially if she is still part of the CHR.
He noted that when de Guia made the statement, she was speaking in behalf of the Commission and “not on her own behalf.”
“Now if she resigns, if she is no longer going to be connected in any way to the CHR, then bahala siya sa sarili niya, magsalita siya ‘o ako pro-abortion’ –wala na akong pakialam sa kanya (then its up to her, she can say she is pro-abortion, she’s free to do that),” he pointed out.
“But nandito pa siya, she’s still connected to the CHR, she does not have the right to talk about the decriminalizing abortion, or espousing abortion, because she knows that it is illegal here in our country,” he explained, adding that de Guia “should know the law.”
“Alam naman nilang bawal ang abortion (They know that abortion is illegal) eh, we are just correcting it,” he also stressed.