Contraceptives; Barangay Officials May Be Dismissed, Sept. 10, 2011, https://tuklasinnatin.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/legal-expertschallenge-constitutionality-of-seven-balanga-barangays-restricting-access-to-contraceptives-barangay-officials-may-be-dismissed. See
also An Act Providing for a Local Government Code of 1991, Rep. Act No. 7160, sec 57 (1991) (Phil.).
51
Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF International, 2013 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey: Key Findings 5 (2014);
National Statistics Office, Phil. National Demographic and Health Survey 2008, supra note 50, at 50 tbl. 4.9.
52
An Executive Order Declaring Sorgoson City as a Pro-Life City, Exec. Ord. No. 3 (2015) (Phil.).
23
Ligaya Acosta, Inspired by ASPAC, Filipino Mayor Declares City Pro-Life, Human Life International, Feb. 13, 2015, http://www.hli.
org/2015/02/inspired-aspac-filipino-mayor-declares-city-pro-life.
53
An Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Women, Rep. Act No. 9710 (2009) (Phil.).
54
Id. ch. IV, sec. 17.
55
24
25
26
27
Guttmacher Institute, Unintended Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion in the Philippines, Fact Sheet 1 (2013) [hereinafter Guttmacher Institute,
Fact Sheet]; Guttmacher Institute, Meeting Women’s Contraceptive Needs in the Philippines, 1 In Brief 2 (2009).
Guttmacher Institute, Fact Sheet, supra note 53, at 1.
Sheila Crisostomo, RH to help stop rise in abortion cases – DOH, The Philippine Star, Mar. 7, 2014, http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/03/07/1298062/rh-help-stop-rise-abortion-cases-doh.
Id. ch. IV, secs. 17(3) & 17(7).
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted Dec. 18, 1979, art. 12, G.A. Res. 34/180, U.N.
GAOR, 34th Sess., Supp. No. 46, at 193, U.N. Doc. A/34/46, U.N.T.S. 13 (entered into force Sept. 3, 1981).
Carmela Fonbuena, RH law: The long and rough road, Rappler, Dec. 30, 2012, http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/18730-rh-law-thelong-and-rough-road.
56
Angela Casauay, President Aquino signs RH bill into law, Rappler, Dec. 28, 2012, http://www.rappler.com/nation/18728-aquino-signsrh-bill-into-law.
57
An Act Providing for a National Policy on Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health, Rep. Act No. 10354, secs. 3(j), 5, 7, 10 & 14
(2012) (Phil.).
59
Ina Reformina, SC consolidates 14th petition vs RH Law, ABS-CBN News, July 2, 2013, http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/02/13/
sc-consolidates-14th-petition-vs-rh-law.
61
28
29
30
31
32
James M. Imbong and Lovely-Ann C. Imbong v. Hon. Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr., et al., G.R. No. 204819 (S.C., Apr. 8, 2014) (Phil.), available at http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2014/apr2014/gr_204819_2014.html.
Id. para. 32.
60
Id. paras. 33–34.
62
Id. para. 34.
63
Id. para. 43.
Id. para. 43.
The Revised Penal Code, Act No. 3815, arts. 256–259 (1930) (Phil.).
66
67
Center for Reproductive Rights, Forsaken Lives : The Harmful Impact of the Philippine Criminal Abortion Ban 16, 18 (2010).
68
36
Bureau of Food and Drugs, Misoprostol (Cytotec): Unregistered Drug Product, Advisory 2002-02, (Aug. 12, 2002) (Phil.), available at
http://www.fda.gov.ph/advisories/pharmaceutical/38928-bfad-advisory-no-02-02.
37
Center for Reproductive Rights, Lourdes Osil v. Mayor of Manila : Access to Contraception Is a Human Right 5 (2010).
Id. at 1.
69
70
Id.
World Health Organization (WHO), Model List of Essential Medicines 38 (19th ed. rev. 2015) [hereinafter WHO, List of Essential
Medicines].
Domini M. Torrevillas, Women In, Postinor Still Out, The Philippine Star, Mar. 15, 2015, http://www.philstar.com/opinion/270435/women-postinor-still-out.
WHO, List of Essential Medicines, supra note 39, at 33; Torrevillas, supra note 40.
41
The Philippines was the 21st state to ratify or accede to CEDAW. See UN Women, States Parties, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/
cedaw/states.htm (last visited June 1, 2015).
See UN Women, Signatures and Accessions/Ratifications to the Optional Protocol, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/protocol/sigop.htm (last visited June 1, 2015).
43
National Statistics Office, Phil. National Demographic and Health Survey 2003 at 67 tbl. 5.12 (2004) [hereinafter Phil. National
Demographic and Health Survey 2003].
Id. para. 45.
Id. para. 45.
38
39
Id. para. 42.
64
Guttmacher Institute, In Brief, supra note 2, at 3–5.
35
44
Id. para. 23.
Id. para. 32.
65
34
40
CEDAW Committee, Summary of the Philippines inquiry, supra note 3, paras. 21–31.
58
Lourdes E. Osil et al. v. Office of the Mayor of the City et al., Regional Trial Court, Sp. Proc. No. 09-121259 (Oct. 7, 2014).
33
42
National Statistics Office, Phil. National Demographic and Health Survey 2013 at 53 tbl. 5.12; National Statistics Office, Phil. National
Demographic and Health Survey 2008, supra note 50, at 50 tbl. 4.9.
71
Commission on Human Rights of the Phil., EO NO. 003: Discriminatory or Rights Based? CHR Advisory on the Local Ordinance by the City of
Manila, CHR (IV) A2010-005, 4 (2010).
CEDAW Committee, Summary of the Philippines inquiry, supra note 3, paras. 40–41.
Id. para. 41.
72
Id. para. 47.
73
74
Id. para. 47.
75
Id. para. 48.
Id. para. 48.
76
77
Id. para. 48.
Id. paras. 49–52.
78
Const. (1987), art. II, sec. 15 (Phil.).
79
Id. art. XIII, sec. 11.
80
Guttmacher Institute, Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion in the Philippines : Causes and Consequences 4 (2006).
45
Phil. National Demographic and Health Survey 2003, supra note 44, at 102 tbl. 7.10.
46
47
Center for Reproductive Rights, Imposing Misery, supra note 9, at 24.
National Economic and Development Authority and United Nations Development Programme, The Philippines : Fifth Progress Report;
Millennium Development Goals 73 (2014).
48
49
Jocelyn R. Uy, Maternal deaths rising in Metro Manila, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Feb. 18, 2012, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/147901/
maternal-deaths-rising-in-metro-manila.
50
14
In 2008, 22% of married women in the country had an unmet need for family planning services, with the rate dropping only slightly in
2011, to 19%. The same pattern was reflected in Metro Manila, where the unmet need for family planning among married women was
reported at 21% in 2008, with a slight drop to 18% in 2011. At the national level, from 2008 to 2011, a decrease (from 51% to 49%) in
contraceptive use among married women (aged 15–49) was observed, although an increase (from 34% to 37%) in the use of modern
methods was indicated. In Metro Manila, contraceptive use of any method in 2008 was slightly higher, at 54%, compared to the overall
country rate, but the use of modern methods was lower, at 32%. By 2011, an increase to 38% in the use of modern methods was noted in Metro Manila despite a drop in overall contraceptive use to 48%. National Statistics Office, Phil. National Demographic and Health
Survey 2008 at 86 tbl. 7.4 & 56 tbl. 5.5 (2009) [hereinafter Phil. National Demographic and Health Survey 2008]; National Statistics
Office, Unmet Need for Family Planning Remains High (Results from the 2011 Family Health Survey), May 25, 2012, http://web0.psa.
gov.ph/content/unmet-need-family-planning-remains-high-results-2011-family-health-survey; National Statistics Office, Contraceptive
Use Among Filipino Women (Based from the Results of the 2011 Family Health Survey), May 9, 2013, http://web0.psa.gov.ph/content/
contraceptive-use-among-filipino-women-based-results-2011-family-health-survey-0.
CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN THE PHILIPPINES
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