SANTIAGO

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago filed her version of the controversial reproductive health bill, citing the state’s commitment to a number of treaties and international human rights agreements to which the Philippines is a party.

But whether her own version will encounter objection or not from the Catholic Church hierarchy just like in the Lower House remains to be seen.

Santiago said that among the treaties and human rights agreements to which the country is a party are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action (ICPD-POA), the Beijing Platform of Action (BPA), and the Millennium Development Goals, specifically Goal 5 (MDG 5).

Article 12 of the ICESCR recognizes the right of everyone to “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.” (Rolly Carandang)