Following the withdrawal of support of some senators on the controversial anti-teenage pregnancy bill, Senate deputy minority leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she will submit a substitute bill to Senate Bill No. 1979 or the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2023 to address concerns raised against the measure.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, January 22, Hontiveros specifically said she will be “filing an amendment by substitution that seeks to address the objections in the bill.”

“Tinanggal na po natin ang phrase na (We have removed the phrase) ‘guided by international standards’ dahil sa pangamba ng ilan (because of the fears of some sectors),” Hontiveros said.

“Nilimitahan na natin ang (We limited the) CSE (Comprehensive Sexuality Education) sa (to) adolescents o ang 10 years old and above,” she said.

Nevertheless, Hontiveros insisted there is nothing in SB 1979 that states that children ages 0 to 4 years old will be taught about “masturbation, anal sex or oral sex” and other strange or risky concepts about sex.

“Pero uulitin ko, wala naman ang mga ito sa bill. At kailanman ay hindi ito makakapasok sa anumang panukala na aking sinusulong (But again, these are not in the bill. And I would never allow such concept to be included in any measure that I am pushing),” Hontiveros said.

“Isa pa (Also), I cannot in good conscience support the complete removal of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) from our policy landscape, not just for the Filipino youth, but also for their parents, guardians, and teachers that find it hard to discuss these topics with their children,” she stressed.

Hontiveros further assured her committee is taking into consideration all the concerns raised about the bill.

“And I wish to take this opportunity to inform this body that I have given much thought to the opposition raised against the bill,” the senator said.

“Legislation, as they say, is the art of the possible. And while my personal convictions maintain that SB 1979 is a reasoned and appropriate response to this national crisis that is teenage pregnancy, mas nais ko na magkaisa tayo sa layunin na pababain ang teenage pregnancy sa Pilipinas, at bigyang suporta ang mga kabataang nangangailangan (I’d rather have all of us be united in the goal to lower the number of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines and provide support to our youth who are in need),” she stressed.

Hours before her speech, seven senators opted to withdraw their signature from the bill.

Those who signified their withdrawal of support from the measure are Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay and Christopher “Bong” Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.

In a statement, Go clarified that his decision to sign the committee report was merely “procedural” since the secondary referral of the bill is given to the health panel.

“This technicality should not be misconstrued as an endorsement or active participation in the bill’s development,” Go said.