Marcos may reconsider veto on adolescent pregnancy bill

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed on Monday to veto Senate Bill No. 1979, known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023, due to its provisions he found 'ridiculous' and 'abhorrent'.

Marcos cited concerns over proposed content that allegedly teaches four-year-olds about masturbation and encourages children to explore different sexualities, which he described as promoting a 'woke mentality', but said on Thursday that he needs to read the new version of the bill before reconsidering his stance.

Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a substitute measure for SB 1979 on Wednesday, addressing concerns raised by various groups and withdrawing support from at least seven senators, including amendments to require parental consent for minors under 16 to access sexual and reproductive health information and services.

Despite his earlier objections, Marcos expressed support for teaching essential topics like anatomy, consequences of early pregnancy, and risks of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), while emphasizing the need to preserve children's innocence and protect their well-being.

The substitute bill removes the phrase 'guided by international standards' and stresses that the CSE Program should include comprehensive, age- and developmentally-appropriate information affecting the reproductive health and sexuality of adolescents.