26 Jul PINSAN demands president keep promises – defend women’s rights and decriminalize abortion
The Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN) is calling upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to uphold his promises and address salient issues by providing clear, decisive platforms, and not just mere pleasantries. As the highest ranked public servant in the country, it is the president’s duty to serve the people, uphold human rights, and prioritize the best interests of every Filipino citizen. PINSAN asserts that pursuing pro-people laws and projects is the president’s moral and legal responsibility as the people’s elected leader.
Restrictive abortion laws in the Philippines remain a threat to women’s safety and welfare, and in a February 2022 interview with Boy Abunda, President Marcos Jr. took a sympathetic stance on the matter, citing statistics regarding deaths caused by unsafe abortion complications. PINSAN is strongly urging the president to support these words by decriminalizing abortion in the Philippines.
Atty. Clara Rita Padilla, spokesperson of PINSAN and executive director of EnGendeRights, said, “We urge the president to certify the Decriminalization of Abortion Bill as a priority measure. It’s time for our country to repeal this outdated colonial Spanish law restricting women’s rights to safe abortion. This discriminatory restrictive law has never reduced the number of women who induce abortion but only leads them to seek abortion in unsafe methods and conditions.”
“In 2020, there was an estimated 1.26 million Filipino women who induced abortion. Without access to safe abortion, these women—poor, married, younger than 25 or rape survivors—put their lives and health at risk just to discontinue their unintended or unwanted pregnancies” Padilla continued. “At least three women die a day from complications from unsafe abortion. Abortion is common, a reality. We urge the president to address this urgent public health issue. Make the Decriminalization of Abortion Bill a priority. Decriminalize abortion and help us save the lives of women.”
Jihan Jacob, Senior Legal Adviser for Asia of the Center for Reproductive Rights said, “Marcos Jr. is faced with the opportunity to champion for women’s rights and put a stop to the thousands of preventable deaths and complications that women face because of our discriminatory laws on abortion.”
During President Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address held on the 25th of July 2022, there was strong emphasis on economic growth and recovery. However, human rights issues, which inevitably affect and are affected by the country’s economic struggles, were glaringly not mentioned.
“Restricting abortion has negative economic implications. Between 2014 and 2016, the payment costs of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) for post-abortion care more than doubled (from PHp250 million to Php570 million)” Jacob commented. “In 2021, dilation and curettage – a surgical procedure commonly used in the country for post-abortion care – was among the top ten packages and procedures that PHIC paid for amounting to Php440 million.”
Atty. Padilla added, “Apart from being costly, the national government must exert all efforts to replace D&C with the WHO-recommended manual vacuum aspiration to treat post-abortion care which is quicker, less intrusive, less painful and has lower complication rate, highlighting the vast issues that urgently need to address this public health issue. Up to now, many health providers are not effectively trained to provide humane, non-judgmental, and compassionate post-abortion care. Women suffering complications from unsafe abortion are humiliated and threatened with prosecution. These human rights violations must stop. Even women suffering complications from natural conditions such as spontaneous abortions, incomplete abortion and intrauterine fetal demise are subjected to the same abuses.”
While Pres. Marcos Jr. promised a more concerted effort to strengthen laws regarding violence against women and children, the blatant disregard for women’s health and welfare, particularly the decriminalization of abortion, is unacceptable and further undermines the impact of our draconian legislature on the safety of our women.
“To minimize public costs and more importantly to save lives, one of the top priorities must be on decriminalizing abortion and preventing unsafe abortions,” Jacob continued. “This is the time for Marcos Jr. to call upon Congress to take immediate steps to amend our laws and decriminalize abortion.”
She further added that, “the newly elected House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Jose Miguel Zubiri owe the same duty to over a million Filipino women and their families who are continuing to face the stigma, dicrimination and harmful repercussions of restrictive abortion laws. As the new leaders of Congress, repealing discriminatory laws and enacting those that advance the country’s public health and human rights are of pressing importance.”