Co-sponsorship of the resolution expressing the Senate's condolences on the death of former President Benigno Aquino III
By Senator Pia S. Cayetano

This is a brief tribute to a man who I knew as a colleague and friend, before he became a president.

I'd like to specifically touch on one area that I think has not been mentioned yet today. And this would be his support for the Reproductive Health Bill, which eventually became a law [RA 10354]. He was President at the time that Congress held the debates on the RH Bill, and I was the sponsor of that bill.

And I'd like to put on record that one of the major factors that gave me the strength to carry on is the fact that from the very start, our President, Benigno Aquino, had said that he would not veto it. He said this at a time of great pressure, particularly by the Church groups. I have always expressed my respect for the views that some churches had, but at the same time, I stood fast that this was a constitutional right, and our President had the same views on it. So he didn't meddle. I didn't believe that he had called any of us to a meeting, and he allowed me to do my work. And when the time came, after we passed the bill, he supported it as he said he would.

So on behalf of the Filipino women, on behalf of the Filipino families, there is now evidence that more families are able to choose the family size that they want, that they can support, because of access to reproductive health services and advice. We thank our late President, Noynoy Aquino, for the support that he gave.

And then, the second point I'd like to raise is already on record, this is on the passage of the Sin Tax Law, as well. Again, he was the President when the Minority Floor Leader (Sen. Franklin Drilon), then the Senate President, defended this, and then Senate President Drilon asked me to help him on the health aspect.

The rest is history... I really remember those days, and he said that was one of the hardest debates and bicam that he ever went through, and in my case, it was sort of a baptismal of fire because I think it was the most difficult also that I have been through, along with reproductive health.

Again, the late President had thrown in his support. And I think this again would also not be a reality if we had known, if we had thought, that the Chief Executive would not support us. So this is and continues to be a very strong controversial issue because this is a health concern but also a very big industry, and we continue to work on issues related to it. But at that time, this was, I think [in 2010], probably soon after his honor, the late President was elected, when we took it up. And it paved the way for healthcare, the good part of healthcare that we know today. The healthcare that has seen great changes in terms of health infrastructure, because that is all now written into the law. The Sin Tax Law [RA 10351] has provided continuous funding for healthcare reforms and this will be felt by generations to come, as it is already felt now.

So for that, we thank the late President for his support. I join my colleagues in paying tribute to his honor. Thank you.

So on behalf of the Filipino women, on behalf of the Filipino families, there is now evidence that more families are able to choose the family size that they want, that they can support, because of access to reproductive health services and advice. We thank our late President, Noynoy Aquino, for the support that he gave.