43 Id., at 215. 44 Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supra note 2. 45 Philippine National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, 10-11 (2017), available at https://bit.ly/2HTdHfQ [hereinafter Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022]. 46 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, General Recommendation No. 24: Article 12 of the Convention (women and health), (20th Sess., 1999), U.N. Doc. A/54/38/Rev.1 (Vol. II) (2008). 47 Id,. at para. 14. 48 Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Rep. of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, paras. 43-44, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/31/57 (2016); Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 22: The right sexual and reproductive health (Art. 12), paras. 10, 57-61, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/GC/22 (Vol. I) (2016); Tysiąc v. Poland, No. 5410/03, Eur. Ct. H.R. (2007); K.L. v. Peru, Human Rights Committee, Commc’n No. 1153/2003, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/85/D/1153/2003 (2005); Paulina del Carmen Ramírez Jacinto v. México, Inter-Am. Comm’n. H. R., Report No. 21/07, OEA/Ser.L./V/II.130, doc. 22, rev. 1 (2007). 49 Unintended Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion in the Philippines, supra note 18. 50 Id. 51 Id. 52 Id. 53 Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, 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, paras. 13, 34, 47, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/OP.8/PHL/1 (2015) [hereinafter CEDAW Committee, Inquiry Report]. 54 CEDAW Committee, Report of the Inquiry, supra note 40, paras. 3435. 55 The Constitution of The Philippines, 1987, art. II, sec. 12. 56 Forsaken Lives, supra note 8 at 78-79. 57 Records of the Constitutional Commission: Proceedings and Debates I, 722-723 (July 18, 1986), available at https://bit.ly/2I3Fz37. 58 Bernas, S.J., 1987 Constitution Commentary 77 (1996). of the Republic of the Philippines: A 59 Id. 60 Civil Code, art. 65 Rhonda Copelon et. al, Human Rights Begin at Birth: International Law and the Claim of Fetal Rights, 13 Reproductive Health Matters 26, 121 (2005), citing U.N. GAOR 3rd Comm’n, paras. 110-124, 99th mtg. U.N. Doc. A/PV/99 (1948). 66 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted Dec. 16, 1966, art. 6, para. 1, G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), U.N. GAOR, 21st Sess., Supp. No. 16, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171 (entered into force Mar. 23, 1976). 67 U.N. GAOR Annex, 12th Session, Agenda Item 33, paras. 96, 113, 119, U.N. Doc. A/C.3/L.654. 68 Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted Nov. 20, 1989, preamble, para. 9, GA Res. 44/25, annex, U.N. GAOR 44th Sess., Supp. No.49, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989) (entered into force Sept. 2, 1990). 69 Question of a Convention on the Rights of the Child: Rep. of the Working Group, para. 6, U.S. Comm’n on Human Rights, 36th Sess., U.N. DOC. E/CN.4/L.1542 (1980). 70 CRC Committee, General Comment No. 15: On the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, (62nd Sess., 2013), para. 70, U.N. Doc. CRC/C/GC/15 (2013); CRC Committee, General Comment No. 20: On the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence, para. 60, U.N. Doc. CRC/C/GC/20* (2016). 71 CEDAW Committee, Inquiry Report, supra note 53 at para 33. 72 Id., at para. 51. 73 See CEDAW Committee, Inquiry Report, supra note 53 at para. 51 (e), U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/OP.8/PHL/1 (2015); CEDAW Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, paras. 27, 28, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/PHI/CO/6 (2006); Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations: Philippines, paras. 31, 32, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/PHL/CO/4 (2008); Human Rights Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, para. 13, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/ PHL/CO/4 (2012); CAT Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, paras. 38, 39, U.N. Doc. CAT/C/PHL/CO/3 (2016); CEDAW Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, paras. 39, 40, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/PHL/CO/7-8 (2016); ESCR Committee, Concluding Observations: Philippines, paras. 51, 52, U.N. Doc. ESCR/C.12/PHL/CO/5-6 (2016); see also, United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Safe abortions for all women who need them – not just the rich, say UN experts (2017) available at https://bit.ly/2xy2X3O. 74 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); see also, CEDAW Committee, Inquiry Report, supra note 53 at para. 51(v). 40 (1949). 61 Id. (The Philippine Civil Code provides that “[b]irth determines personality” and “civil personality is extinguished by death.”). 62 Geluz v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. L-16439, July 20, 1961 (In this case, the Supreme Court overturned an order by a trial court awarding damages to a man who sued the physician who performed an abortion on his wife by arguing that the death of the fetus was equivalent to the death of a person. The Supreme Court explained that parents cannot institute an action on behalf of a fetus because the latter has no right of action which can be transmitted to its parents). 63 Continental Steel Manufacturing Corporation v. Montaño, G.R. No. 182836, October 13, 2009 (The Court stated that “death has been defined as the cessation of life [but] life is not synonymous with civil personality.”). 64 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted Dec. 10, 1948, art. 1, G.A. Res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc. A/810 at 71 (1948). ENDNOTES TEXT BOXES, CHARTS, AND QUOTES 1 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, General Recommendation No. 28: Core obligations of states parties under article 2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (47th Sess., 2010), paras. 9, 31, 35, U.N. Doc. CEDAW/C/GC/28 (2010) [hereinafter CEDAW Committee, Gen. Recommendation No. 28]. 2 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 22: The right to sexual and reproductive health (Art. 12), paras. 34, 49(a), U.N. Doc. E/C.12/GC/22 (Vol. I) (2016) [hereinafter ESCR Committee, Gen. Comment No. 22]; see also, UNAIDS, WHO, Joint United Nations Statement on Ending Discrimination in Health Care Settings, 3 (2017). CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 15