ANGARA CALLS FOR "CALM, REASONED" DEBATE ON RH BILL

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called for "calm, reasoned and enlightened" discussion on the controversial RH bill, amidst the ongoing debate in the Lower House.

"They should continue with the dialogue instead of threatening each other," he said. "The same issue has gone through many Catholic countries -- even more Catholic and devout than us like Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy -- but without this traumatic debate and namecalling."

The veteran senator said the controversy surrounding the Reproductive Health bill filed in the Lower House and in the Senate is a mark of how much this bill will affect the nation.

"Let's not mislead our people, if they are for it. They live in poverty and misery everyday so they need both their government and church. But let's not divide and fragment the nation just because of one single issue," he said.

"I'm inclined to support the bill because of its provisions for maternal and child health. I'm not in favor of abortion--which I don't think is part of the bill anyway," he stated.

"What we need is to inform the people about what this bill is all about, what measures the RH Bill is seeking so that each person has enough knowledge to make their own decisions on the matter," he said.