President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticized several provisions in the proposed anti-teen pregnancy law, calling them “ridiculous” and “abhorrent” after fully reading the bill.
In an interview, Marcos expressed his concerns about Senate Bill 1979, which seeks to institutionalize comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in both public and private schools to address rising teen pregnancies. The debate was sparked by a viral video from the advocacy group ‘Project Dalisay,’ which claimed the CSE could “hypersexualize children.”
Marcos clarified his position on the bill, which includes teaching children about sexuality and its consequences. “I was shocked and appalled by some of the elements of that bill. This is all this ‘woke’ ideology they’re trying to push into our system,” he said, noting that he had read the bill over the weekend.
He specifically objected to what he considered inappropriate content. “You’re going to teach four-year-olds how to masturbate? That every child has the right to explore different sexualities? This is ridiculous, this is abhorrent. It’s a travesty of what sex education should be,” he added.
Despite his criticism, Marcos affirmed his belief in the importance of sex education, particularly regarding anatomy, the reproductive system, and the consequences of early pregnancy. “I still believe that teaching kids about anatomy and the reproductive systems of males and females is extremely important, as well as the consequences of early pregnancy and the prevalence of HIV,” he stated.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the authors of the bill, rejected Marcos’ claims, clarifying that the bill does not include references to sensitive topics like masturbation or exploring different sexualities. “Mr. President, with all due respect, it’s clear that the bill doesn’t even mention the word ‘masturbation.’ Nor does it talk about ‘trying different sexualities.’ CSE includes exactly what you support: teaching kids about anatomy and the consequences of early pregnancy,” she said.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, a supporter of ‘Project Dalisay,’ argued that although these provisions aren’t explicitly mentioned in the bill, the CSE framework is based on international guidelines from agencies like the UN, UNESCO, and WHO, which assert that children have a right to pleasure from their bodies, including touching their own bodies. “You won’t see this explicitly in the bill, but when it refers to international standards, you should align it with international documents,” Sereno noted.
Senator Hontiveros also stated that she was open to amending the bill, but President Marcos warned that he would veto the legislation if it remained in its current form. Several lawmakers in the House of Representatives have called for the bill to be reconsidered after it was approved in the plenary in September 2023.
Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva, who is associated with an influential religious group, thanked Marcos for his opposition to the bill. “We call on our colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives to remain vigilant and not be easily swayed by this proposal,” Villanueva said.
