Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday expressed hope that her colleagues in the upper chamber would give the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill a “fair chance.”

Hontiveros stressed that the Senate still needs to pass a measure that would protect the interests of the Filipino people.

“Hindi pwedeng talikuran ng Senado ang kanyang tungkulin na tugunan ito (The Senate cannot ignore this responsibility). This is why it is important for us to find common ground so we can pass this urgent and important piece of legislation,” she told reporters in a press conference at the Senate.

“So this time, I hope the Senate gives this fair chance. Kaya wala akong problema sa totoo at sinserong pag-aalala ng iba't ibang sektor at grupo (That’s why I have no issue with the genuine and sincere concerns of various sectors and groups),” she added.

Hontiveros also lamented that teenage pregnancy remains a national emergency that must be addressed by the Senate.

Her remarks came after she filed a substitute bill, replacing the version of Senate Bill 1979 with amendments addressing the concerns on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).

“CSE or Comprehensive Sexuality Education is just one of the preventive measures to combat adolescent pregnancy, na isa lang sa mga probisyon ng Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill,” she clarified.

The senator noted that CSE has been “tried and tested” as an effective tool to lower the cases of teenage pregnancies.

“I — along with many advocates, civil society organizations, teachers, and parents — uphold that what we are pushing for is an age- and development-appropriate, and culturally sensitive response to this national and social emergency,” she said.

Hontiveros said the CSE is no longer part of the substitute bill.

“Sa substitute bill, tinanggal na po na ang CSE ay ‘guided by international standards’ na nakasaad sa orihinal na bersyon para hindi na mabaluktot ng iba ang ibig sabihin nito. Gusto natin na maging mas malinaw na ang anumang ituturo sa ating kabataan ay sang-ayon sa kultura at konteksto nating mga Pilipino (In the substitute bill, the phrase that the CSE is ‘guided by international standards’ as stated in the original version has been removed to prevent misinterpretation. We want to make it clearer that anything taught to our youth should align with the culture and context of Filipinos),” she emphasized.

She noted that the substitute bill already clarifies that the CSE is intended only for adolescents or children aged 10 years old and above.

“I hope this allays valid and genuine fears. I hope this helps bring us senators together to finally pass a Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill our country so desperately needs,” Hontiveros said.

She added that the substitute bill now also includes a clear provision guaranteeing academic freedom and religious freedom.

“This also includes provisions from the Senate President himself,” she further pressed.

On Wednesday, at least seven senators withdrew their signatures from the previous version of Senate Bill 1979.

Withdrawal of support, disinformation

Hontiveros believes this retraction does not necessarily mean the bill will be returned to the committee level, despite her colleagues withdrawing their support.

“This matter is already in plenary, and the withdrawal of signatures doesn’t have the effect of reverting it back to the committee level,” she said.

“Any objections by other senators should be expressed in plenary through questions and other proposed amendments.”

Further, Hontiveros encouraged her colleagues who retracted their support to study the substitute bill.

She sees that the objections of her fellow senators were “based on disinformation.”

“So, yung misinterpretation ni Presidente at yung sadyang pag-misrepresent nung ilan, pag-fake news at disinformation, pagsisinungaling tungkol sa bill, ay gaya ng nabanggit ko kanina, patuloy kong tinututulan (So, the misinterpretation by the President and the deliberate misrepresentation by some, including the spread of fake news, disinformation, and lies about the bill, as I mentioned earlier, I continue to strongly oppose),” she said.

Hontiveros was also asked to comment on Senator Joel Villanueva’s remarks, terming the substitute bill as a “budol” — a Tagalog term that means “scam” or “fraud.”

“All I can say is that... It goes to show na mapang-budol ang bill (All I can say is that... It goes to show that the bill is a scam),” Villanueva said.

In response, Hontiveros said the real scam is the spread of disinformation about the bill.

“The devil is also inaccurate representation ng trabaho ng mga (in the works of our) colleagues. There's nothing hidden about CSE in the bill. Its provision is open as one of the supportive preventive mechanisms against adolescent pregnancy. Ang totoong pangbubudol ay yung ginawa ng mga nag-fake news laban sa bill (The real scam is those spreading fake news peddled against the bill),” she lamented.

She added that “real scammers are the ones who have spread disinformation” and sowed fear among Filipinos through their social media operations.

“The real scammers are those who lied about the bill,” she further said.

Moreover, Hontiveros said the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office already got a copy of the substitute bill for its transmittal to the Office of the President.

She said the substitute bill on SB 1979 would “definitely” address the concerns of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about the measure.

“Kung nabasa ni Presidente yung original Senate Bill 1979, at lalo na dito sa aming substitute bill, makaklaro sa kanya kung ano yung totoo na nandun sa bill namin, at ano yung mga kasinungalingan na ikinalat laban doon (If the president read the original version of Senate Bill 1979 and now the substitute bill, he will know the truth about the bill and the lies that were peddled about it),” said Hontiveros.

Considering substitute bill

Marcos earlier expressed strong opposition to certain provisions of the previous version of SB 1979, particularly its approach to sex education in the proposed teachings, such as instructions on masturbation.

"Over the weekend, I finally read in detail (Senate Bill) 1979. And I was shocked and appalled by some of the elements of that. Because this is all this woke that they are trying to bring into our system,” Marcos said in a previous interview.

“You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate. That every child has the right to try different sexualities. This is ridiculous, this is abhorrent. This is a travesty of what sex education should be to the children," he added.

On Thursday, Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez said Marcos will review the substitute bill before considering the proposal that mandates the implementation of the CSE Program.

"I need to read the substitute bill first,” Marcos said, as quoted by Chavez.

Under the substitute bill, access to health services must be “responsive and sensitive to the specific needs of adolescents.”

Section 6 of SB 1979 mandates that CSE be made compulsory, integrating it “at all levels with the end goal of normalizing discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health and to remove stigma at all levels.”

It also calls for the standardization and implementation of CSE in both public and private basic education institutions, making it a part of the school curriculum, with guidance from the Department of Education and international standards.

The substitute bill removes the phrase “guided by international standards” and emphasizes that the CSE program should provide “comprehensive, age- and developmentally-appropriate information regarding the reproductive health and sexuality of adolescents.”

Additionally, Section 7 of the substitute bill requires parental or guardian consent for minors under 16 to access sexual and reproductive health information and services.

Section 11 of the substitute bill stated that the government may also form partnerships with the private sector to promote CSE.