The Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), one of the core organizations which pushed for the enactment of the landmark universal health measure in Congress, lauds the victory of the wining pro-RH candidates. Data from Comelec's partial tally shows that 94% of more than a hundred pro-RH re-electionists are seen winning in their respective districts and partylist system. The list includes those who ran for other elective posts.
Despite the black propaganda of the
church against senatorial candidates who have been supportive of the
Reproductive Health Law, a good number of the pro-RH candidates won in the
recently concluded mid-term elections.
"The victory of the pro-RH
candidates in the recently concluded elections is an affirmation that leaders
of the Roman Catholic church cannot dictate the results of the elections. There
is no Catholic vote and no black propaganda of the church can steal victory
from candidates who advocate reproductive health," said PLCPD Executive
Director Rom Dongeto.
Six of the seven senatorial
candidates endorsed by the Purple Vote are not just winning but are actually
front runners in the senatorial race: Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero,
Alan Peter Cayetano, Sonny Angara and Bam Aquino. Purple Vote was launched
early this year with the purpose of campaigning for pro-RH candidates whether
in the national or local level.
Teddy Baguilat (Lone District,
Ifugao), Kaka Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Dina Abad (Lone District, Batanes),
Bolet Banal (3rd District, Quezon City), Kimmy Cojuangco (5th District,
Pangasinan), Jaye Lacson-Noel (Lone District, Malabon City), Sandy Ocampo (6th
District, Manila), Susan Yap (2nd District, Tarlac), and Imelda Dimaporo (1st
District, Lanao del Norte) are only some of the RH champions at the House of
Representatives who have won in their respective districts. The candidates at
the local level faced excruciating campaign as their respective pastoral
localities vocally campaigned against them.
"We look forward to working
again with the lawmakers who have been supportive of our advocacy on
reproductive health. As we face a different form of struggle for the RH Law at
the Supreme Court and in Congress where there are threats of having the RH Law
repealed, we are counting on the support of these pro-RH legislators to help us
through the arduous road ahead which should lead to the unperturbed
implementation of the RH Law," Dongeto added.
