Statement of Senator Loren Legarda on the TRO on RH Law

“The SC TRO on the implementation of the RH bill is proof that democracy is alive in this country and that our way of life does not operate in a vacuum. The judicial review of the RH bill, based on petitions filed before the Supreme Court, is part of the system of checks and balances of a thriving democracy.

“The RH law is not about the motives of those for or against the measure. We all want to preserve life, but the protagonists in this issue have diverse understanding and appreciation of the realities that confront our women and children who desperately need maternal and childcare interventions from the state. The SC oral arguments, scheduled in June, will revive the acrimonious debates that characterized the discussions in Congress; but it is a process that is probably necessary as we seek to finally settle all outstanding issues over this measure.

“At the end of the day, this will hopefully be one step backward for now, but two steps forward as we all hope for a decision that will be for the greater good.

“This process can only strengthen our laws, institutions, and processes. Let us not forget, however, that as these processes unfold, there is a greater majority, the quiet majority, that will bear the consequences of the decisions that will ultimately be made by a few.”