14 1 In 2008, the Center for Reproductive Rights, IWRAW-Asia Pacific, and the Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry requested a Special Inquiry into the Philippines under Article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which was taken up by the Committee in 2012. The Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry consists of: EnGendeRights (co-convenor); WomenLEAD (co-convenor); Alternative Law Groups; Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines; Family Planning Organization of the Philippines; Health Action Information Network; Health and Development Initiatives Institute; Institute for Social Studies and Action, Philippines; Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino; MAKALAYA; Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development; Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare; Population Services Pilipinas; Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal/Alternative Legal Assistance Center; Save the Children USA-Philippines Country Office; Forum for Family Planning and Development; WomanHealth Philippines; Women’s Crisis Center; Women’s Legal Bureau; and Women’s Media Circle Foundation. 2 CEDAW Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, para. 40, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/PHL/CO/7-8 (2016). The Committee followed up on its recommendation for the state party to “fully implement, without delay, all the recommendations issued by the Committee in 2015 in the report on its inquiry…including on access to modern contraceptives and legalization of abortion under certain circumstances.” 3 CEDAW Committee, Summary of the Inquiry Concerning the Philippines Under Article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, para. 46, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/OP.8/PHL/1 (2014), available at https://bit.ly/2y8Doru [hereinafter CEDAW Summary of the Inquiry]. 4 Id., at para. 39. 5 Id., at para. 33. 6 Id. 7 Id., at paras. 44-45. 8 Exec. Order No. 10: Creating a Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution (August 2016), available at https://bit.ly/2JLwfSp. 9 House Bill No. 6204: An Act Instituting the Philippine Code of Crimes to Further Strengthen the Criminal Justice System, Repealing for the Purpose Act No. 3815, As Amended, Otherwise Known as the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines and Other Special Penal Laws (August 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2HGnCUh. 10 Rep. Act No. 10354: An Act Providing for A National Policy on Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health, sec. 22 (July 2012), available at https://bit.ly/2HGiwfw [hereinafter RPRHA]. 11 PHILIPPINE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND UNITED NATIONS POPULATIONS FUND (UNFPA), LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD: REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS PHILIPPINES’ NATIONAL INQUIRY ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS 29 (2016) [hereinafter LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD]. 12 Alliance for The Family Foundation Philippines, Inc. and Atty. Maria Concepcion S. Noche, and Others., v. Dr. Janette L. Garin, Secretary Designate of the Department of Health, and Others, G.R. No. 217872, April 26, 2017 [hereinafter ALFI v. DOH]. 13 FDA Advisory No. 2017-302: Results of the Food and Drug Administration’s re-evaluation of contraceptive products for recertification (November 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2LKy7sd. 14 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, PRESIDENT DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION 10 POINT SOCIOECONOMIC AGENDA (2010), available at https://bit.ly/2JE2Bv5. 15 Exec. Order No. 12: Attaining and sustaining “zero unmet need for modern family planning” through the strict implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, providing funds therefore, and for other purposes (January 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2l75All. 16 Id., at sec. 3. 17 Admin. Order No. 2017-0005: Guidelines in achieving desired family size through accelerated and sustained reduction in unmet need for modern family planning methods (March 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2HIAXeL; See also REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, INITIAL PROGRESS REPORT ON EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 12 IMPLEMENTATION (July 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2MlEvao. 18 Leslie Gatpolintan, Full Implementation of RH Law to Cut Poverty, PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY (2018), available at https://bit.ly/2LKbgN7; Chris Schnable, NEDA: Poverty incidence could fall with full implementation of RH law, RAPPLER (2016), available at https://bit.ly/2l452fV. 19 CEDAW, Summary of the Inquiry, supra note 3 at 47. 20 CEDAW, Summary of the Inquiry, supra note 3 at para. 52. 21 Id. 22 Id. 23 Id. 24 Id. 25 RPRHA, supra note 10 at sec. 2. 26 James M. Imbong and Lovely-Ann C. Imbong v. Hon. Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. and Others, G.R. Nos. 204819, 204934, 204957, 204988, 205003, 205043, 205138, 205478, 205491, 205720, 206355, 207111, 207172 and 207563, (S.C., Apr. 8, 2014) (Phil.) [hereinafter Imbong v. Ochoa]. 27 Id. 28 Id. 29 Id. 30 ALFI v. DOH, supra note 12; see also Rina Jimenez-David, Continuing challenges to RH Law, INQUIRER.NET (July 3, 2015), available at https://bit.ly/2y32ic; Jee Y. Geronimo, Supreme Court stops distribution, sale of implants, RAPPLER (June 30, 2015), available at https://bit.ly/1HsH0AT. 31 ALFI v. DOH, supra note 12. 32 Urgent Motion to Resolve Omnibus Motion (October 10, 2016) as filed by Office of Solicitor General, paras. 9, 12, 20 in Alliance for The Family Foundation Philippines, Inc. and Atty. Maria Concepcion S. Noche, and Others., v. Dr. Janette L. Garin, Secretary Designate of the Department of Health, and Others, G.R. No. 217872, April 26, 2017. 33 FDA Advisory No. 2017-302: Results of the Food and Drug Administration’s re-evaluation of contraceptive products for recertification (November 2017), available at https://bit.ly/2LKy7sd. 34 CA denies pro-life group’s plea vs FDA, RAPPLER (2018) available at https://bit.ly/2yF9BXE. 35 Philippine Commission on Population, Press Release: 107 million Filipinos by end-2018 (2018).