MANILA - THE Philippine parliament said on Monday it has blocked government efforts to give free condoms to poor people next year amid a raging debate over a proposed law to allot annual funding for family planning.
The Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to cut a proposed 200 million-peso (S$5.95 million) allotment for contraceptives in the health ministry's budget for next year, Senate Majority leader Vicente Sotto said.
'The 200 million pesos alloted for the purchase of pills, injectables and even condoms has been removed because these contraceptives are in violation of... the constitution,' Mr Sotto told reporters.
He cited a provision in the constitution that says: 'It (the state) shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.' The decision to trim the health ministry budget was made in the conference committee, made up of representatives of the House and the Senate who are working to merge their versions of the 1.645-trillion-peso budget bill.
The freed-up funds would go into servicing the country's debts, Mr Sotto said, adding that the Senate had proposed the cuts which the House supported.
Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile said parliament agreed to keep a 680-million-peso portion of the health ministry budget intended for fund related programmes like maternal care and responsible parenting for the poor. -- AFP
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