Seven senators have withdrawn their support for Senate Bill No. 1979, also known as the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, due to concerns raised by individuals and groups, particularly regarding its provisions on Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE).
Senators JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, and Bong Go, have asked for their signatures to be removed from the Committee Report containing the proposed bill, citing concerns and stressing the need for additional discussions with stakeholders.
"While we believe that the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy is an issue that must be urgently addressed, it is our position that further dialogues with stakeholders is essential, in order to accurately dispel misconceptions and remove objectionable portions from the bill," the senators stated in the letter to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday.
Similarly, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada distanced himself from the Senate Bill, stating that he had carefully considered the sentiments and serious concerns raised by various private organizations, who strongly opposed the proposed legislation.
Senator Bong Revilla Jr. also withdrew his support and signature for the measure, stating that he finds himself at odds with the potential outcomes if the proposed legislation is enacted into law.
Moreover, the latest to withdraw her signature is Senator Loren Legarda.
Senators Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva, and Juan Miguel Zubiri had already expressed concerns over the current version of the bill.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously expressed strong opposition to the "woke absurdities" in the bill, particularly criticizing its approach to sex education designed to prevent adolescent pregnancies in the country.
"Because this is—all this woke that they are trying to bring into our system. You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate, that every child has the right to try different sexualities," said Marcos.
"This is ridiculous, it is abhorrent. It is a travesty of what sex education should be to the children," he added.
The President then mentioned that if the bill were passed in its current version, he would immediately veto it.
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros, the principal author of the bill, clarified its provisions, emphasizing that it does not include the term "masturbation" nor encourage children to "explore different sexualities."
She also expressed her openness to accepting amendments to the bill to help ensure its passage.
