Four senators have retracted their support for the contentious Senate Bill No. 1979, also known as the “Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023,” citing the need for further consultations with stakeholders.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday, Senators JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, and Christopher “Bong” Go requested the removal of their signatures from Committee Report No. 41, which endorsed the proposed legislation.
The senators acknowledged the urgency of addressing adolescent pregnancy but emphasized the importance of dispelling misconceptions and addressing concerns about the bill.
The bill proposes the integration of a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program into school curricula, guided by the Department of Education and international standards. However, critics, including the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution’s Project Dalisay, have raised objections. They claim the inclusion of “international standards” introduces controversial concepts such as childhood masturbation.
The backlash prompted Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Imee Marcos, authors of earlier anti-teen pregnancy proposals incorporated into the bill, to distance themselves from the measure. Both clarified that certain provisions in the substitute bill did not align with their original proposals.
Revilla expressed concerns over the altered content, while Marcos noted that the revised version was significantly different from her initial draft.
